Defending champion Rafael Nadal hobbled out of the second round in a huge upset at the Australian Open on Wednesday, as Coco Gauff beat Emma Raducanu 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in a battle of the rising stars. Nadal’s wife Mery was in tears as the injury-hampered Spanish great lost to 65th-ranked Mackenzie McDonald at Rod Laver Arena, where the roof was closed because of more rain in Melbourne.
Mackenzie McDonald
The 36-year-old Nadal was clearly hindered by a hip issue that required a medical timeout, as he surrendered 4-6, 4-6, 5-7 to the American. It was the reigning champion’s earliest exit from a major in seven years and will lead to more questions about whether injury and age are catching up with the record 22-time major champion.
Coco Gauff
The men’s title now looks Novak Djokovic’s to lose. Nadal said defeat “hurt” and acknowledged that injuries were taking a toll. “I’ve never been in a position to complain, life has given me so many positive things that I have no right to complain,” he said. “[But] I am tired, I am sad, I am disappointed, all this is a reality. From here on…what I want is to continue playing tennis. Don’t think I’m saying all this because I want to take a step back. It is not the case, but my current feelings are bad.”
Also read: Australia Open: Novak Djokovic storms into second round
In contrast to Nadal’s disappointment and pain, 27-year-old McDonald is into the third round and a match against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan. “He’s an incredible champion, he’s never going to give up regardless of the situation,” said McDonald of his beaten opponent.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
