Australian Open 2023: Injured Rafael Nadal loses to Mackenzie McDonald

Rafael Nadal's Australian Open rubric defence is implicit aft a second-round decision by American Mackenzie McDonald successful which helium struggled with an injury.

He took a aesculapian timeout towards the extremity of the 2nd acceptable and continued with the match, but yet slipped to a 6-4 6-3 7-5 defeat.

It is Nadal's earliest exit astatine the Australian Open since 2016.

It was a cruel extremity for Nadal aft his stunning 2022, wherever helium came backmost from 2 sets down to bushed Daniil Medvedev successful past year's last successful Melbourne and won a record-extending 14th French Open crown successful June.

However, a typically battling show successful the Wimbledon quarter-finals led to him picking up an abdominal wounded that hampered him for the remainder of the season.

He arrived successful Melbourne having mislaid his lone 2 singles matches of the play and ne'er looked afloat comfy earlier helium seemed to jar his hep against McDonald.

Nadal's woman was near successful tears and his enactment squad besides looked affectional successful the subordinate container arsenic the two-time champion struggled to determination connected Rod Laver Arena.

After seeing the lucifer done to the extremity helium near to a lasting ovation from the crowd, with Nadal turning to question to each country earlier exiting the stadium.

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