Rafael Nadal

Nadal appeared to be hampered by an injury he picked up in the game's second set.

Djokovic, who has won a record nine Australian Open titles, was unable to defend his crown last year after being dramatically deported from Australia over his Covid vaccination status. When you do things that you like to do, at the end of the day, it's not a sacrifice.” That is the total number of singles Grand Slam titles that Rafael Nadal has won in his career, more than any other player in men’s tennis history. His last two titles came at 2022’s Australian and French Opens. I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life or even more. Top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal was knocked out of the Australian Open Wednesday, following a second-round defeat after he appeared to pick up an injury in the middle of the game, ending his pursuit for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.

The Spanish star, suffering from an injury, was beaten in the second round by American Mackenzie McDonald.

I’m really glad I got my chance and got away with it.” But I kind of just kept focusing on myself and got through. “I was trying to stay so focused on what I was doing and he kind of got me out of that with what he was doing.

Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Rafael Nadal has lost 11 matches and seven of those have come against players from North America.

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) Shapovalov also got a walkover win at the Paris Masters in 2019. [News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/news/) [Live Tennis](https://www.tennis365.com/category/live-tennis/) [Tennis News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/tennis-news/) [Universal Tennis serve up realistic ratings system – with Novak Djokovic top](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/universal-tennis-rankings-djokovic/) [beat the Spaniard 7-6 (7-3), 6-1](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/nadal-no1-taylor-fritz-atpfinals/) at the ATP Finals in Turin. [securing a 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 victor](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/alarming-moment-rafael-nadal-paris/)y. [he won 6-3, 6-4](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/felix-auger-aliassime-topples-rafael-nadal-in-turin-to-dent-no-1-hopes/) during the group phase of the season-ending tournament in Turin, Italy. [a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/frances-tiafoe-stuns-rafael-nadal-us-open-tears/) for his first-career win over his esteemed colleague. [going down 3–6, 6–7 (5–7)](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/nadal-no1-taylor-fritz-atpfinals/). [he suffered a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/denis-shapovalov-huge-fan-injured-rafael-nadal-french-open/) at the hands of Canadian Shapovalov.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal lost to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open.

16 [Frances Tiafoe](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=2708). [Stefanos Tsitsipas](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=2869), No. 6 [Felix Auger-Aliassime](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=3209), No. 15 [Jannik Sinner](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=3623) and No. He squatted behind the baseline and placed his racket down on the court. 2, but Nadal was the top seed at Melbourne Park because No. Something to tell his grandkids one day, and you have to be happy for that guy.'' McDonald has never been past the fourth round at a major tournament. He kept fighting until basically the end, even though he maybe didn't have all his game,'' said McDonald, a 27-year-old American who won NCAA championships in singles and doubles for UCLA in 2016. He said the hip had been bothering him for a couple of days but that it was never as bad as it became on Wednesday. Nadal returned to play but was physically compromised and not his usual indefatigable self, saying afterward he could not hit his backhand properly and could not run much, either. Up in the stands, his wife wiped away tears.

The Spaniard's elimination brings a twist to the Grand Slam titles race, with nine-time champion Novak Djokovic now clear to draw level with the Spaniard's 22 ...

I’m really glad I got my chance and got away with it.” “I was trying to stay so focused on what I was doing and he kind of got me out of that with what he was doing. But I kind of just kept focusing on myself and got through.

Californian Mackenzie McDonald, ranked 65th in the world outpowered the 22-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal to clinch a shock straight-set victory, ...

it's a huge disrespect to the opponents if every time you complain of injury in every lost,' one fan wrote. it's a huge disrespect to the opponents if every time you complain of injury in every lost,' one fan wrote (pictured) Having decided to carry on there were discussions between the player and his box, with anxious looks all round. There was no immediate public diagnosis but the problem area looked to be around his lower left ab and hip. Nadal struggled with injury throughout, appearing to injure his left hip during the second set (pictured, a medic attends to the tennis star during the men's singles match on day three of the Australian Open in Melbourne) he should just retire if everything hurts.

Rafael Nadals defence of his Australian Open title ends in injury and defeat by American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round; Nadal takes medical timeout ...

Asked why he did not retire, Nadal said: "I was not able to hit the backhand at all. But I kind of just kept focusing on myself and got through. I had to do treatments in the past, address it a little [but there] was not this amount of problem. I don't know if in good conditions I will win the match, I will have better chances without a doubt. In the end it has been three positive weeks in terms of practice. He said: "It has been a couple of days like this, but nothing like today in that movement.

In the eagerly anticipated women's singles clash between Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu, the American triumphed over the Brit in straight sets, though she had to ...

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) How do you recover from that?! [News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/news/) “How did she not remember that? I need to work on that a bit!” I just told myself at least you didn’t face plant on the floor, I was trying to keep things in perspective.

Nadal lost in straight sets in the second round of the Australian Open after suffering a hip injury. How much longer will his body allow him to play?

So this was not the Nadal that won the title last year. The obvious thing we need to talk about here is that this loss was largely the result of a hip injury that caused him a lot of trouble. He’s been overshadowed by some of the more higher rank Americans but he’s a nice player, he was a good college player at UCLA, and is a solid pro. That is the most recent in a very long list of injuries that have troubled him. So we weren't expecting him necessarily to be in the final or to win the tournament, but still, seeing him lose in the second round in straight sets is always a little surprising. We knew coming in that kind of early exit was a possibility.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion suffered a hip injury during the second round upset.

[a rough losing streak](https://www.si.com/tennis/2022/11/16/tennis-mailbag-nadal-female-coaches-fort-worth) at the moment, dropping seven of his last nine matches. “Mackenzie played at a great level and I wish him the best for the rest of the tournament. Many thanks to all for the support and the great moments you make me live here. Sad for leaving soon this great tournament and very thankful once again to all, fans, organizers, amazing crowds…” Nadal appeared hurt in the second set as he was visited by a trainer and then used a medical timeout. Since then, he’s won eight Grand Slam titles.

The lingering wave goodbye and the tears of his wife in the stand were a reminder that Rafael Nadal will not go on for ever.

‘I have history with issues in the hip. ‘I can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally at this time, because I will be lying. ‘I can’t complain about my life at all. The reigning champion admitted he was struggling with the issue prior to the match [‘destroyed mentally’](/sport/tennis/article-11648193/Rafael-Nadal-admits-mentally-destroyed-Australian-Open-defence-ended-injury.html) after injury hastened his demise in the [Australian Open](/sport/australian_open/index.html) second round. - He was visibly struggling with a hip injury but refused to retire from the match

Rafael Nadal leaves the court after losing to Mackenzie McDonald in the Australian Open. MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/AFP via Getty Images. CNN ...

“He’s going to be the first one to bring it up and I think he deserves that. You are doing the things that you want to do.” “I don’t think we need to speculate constantly about when that’s going to be. When he feels right, it’s going to be right. “When you like do one thing, at the end, sacrifices always make sense, because the ‘sacrifice’ word is not like this. Ultimately, it’s up to him. “I like playing tennis and I know it’s not forever. This new injury is the latest in a long list that have hampered Nadal throughout his career. “It’s very simple: I like what I do,” Nadal told reporters, per ESPN. “Here we are again, six months later, and he’s dealing with another issue in that same area. That’s the sport at the same time – just try your best until the end.” “It’s better like this at the end.

Stubbs made her prediction after watching the 22-time grand slam champion get a standing ovation as he left the court after his straight-sets loss to ...

It's all the amount of work that you need to put together to come back at a decent level. And that was not my case. The good news? This time last year, he reeled off 21 straight match wins to begin 2022. 'It's not only the recovery. I think his swan song will be at RG.

Rafael Nadal updated his fans by revealing the results of an MRI following an injury he suffered in the second round of the Australian Open.

He also competed in the [United Cup](https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/archive/brisbane-perth-sydney/9900/2023/results) to begin his season. At 3-4 in the second set against McDonald, the Spaniard chased a forehand wide and aggravated an injury that he admitted he had felt for a couple of days. "The MRI shows a grade 2 injury in the iliopsoas muscle in my left leg.

Rafael Nadal underwent a scan in Melbourne on Thursday morning that showed a grade two tear of his iliopsoas muscle, sustained during his second-round exit ...

Let's see how the A six-to-eight-week recuperation would allow Nadal to return well before the clay court season and the run-up to the defence of his French Open title in late May and early June, although would make him a doubt for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells at the start of March. An update from Nadal's team said he would return to Spain for a period of rest and treatment, with the normal recovery time for the injury from six to eight weeks.

Rafael Nadal is expected to be sidelined for between six and eight weeks with the injury he suffered at the Australian Open on Wednesday.

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) [News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/news/) [Live Tennis](https://www.tennis365.com/category/live-tennis/) [ATP Tour](https://www.tennis365.com/category/atp-tour/) Let’s see how the injury is, and then let’s see how I can manage to follow the calendar.” Sad for leaving soon this great tournament and very thankful once again to all, fans, organizers, amazing crowds… Many thanks to all for the support and the great moments you make me live here. After his exit, he wrote on Instagram: “Not the result I wanted, would have loved to continue my run here, but today it wasn’t possible. [he could announce his retirement after this year’s French Open](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/rafael-nadals-future-australian-open-retirement-french-open/). [Rafael Nadal and the North American curse: From Taylor Fritz to Felix Auger-Aliassime and Mackenzie McDonald](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/rafael-nadal-and-the-north-american-curse-from-taylor-fritz-to-felix-auger-aliassime-and-mackenzie-mcdonald/) [defeat to American Mackenzie McDonald](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/rafael-nadal-rages-umpire-wife-mery-crying-limps-defeat-mackenzie-mcdonald/) on Rod Laver Arena.