Tennis
Defending Champion Rafael Nadal Out of Australian Open in Second Round
by privatebet.com - 2023/01/18
Rafael Nadal entered this year’s Australian Open as the defending champion, but luck wasn’t on his side during the first Grand Slam of the season. He was defeated by Mackenzie McDonald in the second round, and his most recent loss raised questions about his future. Nadal entered the match with Mackenzie McDonald as a clear favorite, but the American player was clearly superior. He easily defeated the Spaniard 6-4 6-3 7-5 in Australian Open’s second round. Nadal admitted that he was “destroyed mentally” after the match, and admitted he’s considering stopping all the time, but added that he doesn’t want to leave the court with the retirement. “You can imagine (how disappointed I am)… At the end, you need to keep going. Sometimes it is frustrating, sometimes it is difficult to accept. Sometimes you feel super tired about all this stuff in terms of injuries,” said Nadal post-match. Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev to win his second Australian Open title last year, and this is his earliest exit since 2016. He also went on to win his record-extending 14th French Open, but he wasn’t as successful for the rest of the season, after withdrawing from the Wimbledon semi-finals due to an abdominal injury.