Shock! Rafael Nadal fails to defend his title at the Australian Open, finishes in the second round

I guess tennis fans didn’t expect this. Rafael Nadal finishes already in the second round of the Australian Open on the racket of American Mackenzie Mcdonald and will not defend his triumph from last year. In addition, the Spaniard did not even win a set because he was limited by injury.

American Mackenzie McDonald (65th) can add a big scalp to his account. He managed to knock out world number two and tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

The latter did not come to Melbourne in a good playing mood. The birth of his first child and increasingly frequent injuries have limited him significantly. He lost both his matches at the United Cup and the end of his misery came only in the first round match against the Briton Jack Draper.

But it was a much-earned win, compounded by the spasms of British talent. But the Spanish star managed to advance and that was the most important thing, but now came another disappointment.

It was played under the cloudy roof of Rod Laver Arena, because in Australia the heat alternates with heavy rain.From the beginning of the match with McDonald Nadal was pulling the short end of the stick. On the other hand, the American played very honestly and made a small number of unforced errors.

In the first game of the match, Nadal immediately came under pressure and gave his opponent his own serve. Moreover, he lost it for the second time in the fifth game and was already 1-4 down. He then dropped the set but McDonald managed to take the first set 4-6.

The second set started like a carbon copy for Nadal. He couldn’t hold serve in the first game and had to tighten up in the fourth game. The seventh game of the second set was crucial, as the Spaniard lost his serve again and had to take a medical timeout.

He injured his left hip and did not finish the match at 100%. His movement was very noticeable. McDonald then calmly finished the second set 4-6.

The Spanish fighter tried hard to overcome the injury in the third act, but unfortunately it didn’t lead to a break point chance. But it was an absolutely great set and thrilled all the fans present.

The final break came at 5-5 on Nadal’s serve. McDonald got two break points and managed to convert the second. Then it was easy for the 27-year-old American to finish the match 5-7.

Nadal bids farewell to the Australian Open and gives his rivals a chance to fight for the top spot in the ATP rankings. After the match, there were scenes that could make the biggest tennis fans cry.

The American’s victory was actually second to none, Nadal ended up slowly in tears on the bench, his wife in the stands no longer holding back her tears.

Rafael Nadal (2nd) – Mackenzie McDonald (65th) – 0-3 (4-6, 4-6, 5-7)

Sources: Australian Open, Twitter