Nadal knocked out in Australian Open second round after hip injury

Defending champion Rafael Nadal bowed out of the Australian Open on Wednesday after injuring his left hip and losing to Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in the second round, abruptly ending his bid for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam trophy.

An under-par Nadal lost the first set and was trailing in the second when he pulled up awkwardly at the end of a point at 3-4 against the 65th-ranked American.

The top seed was visited by a trainer on the sideline, then left the court for a medical timeout. Up in the stands, his wife wiped away tears.

This is Nadal's earliest exit at any Grand Slam tournament since 2016

Although Nadal was determined to complete the match, it was clear that the great champion was physically compromised and his dreams of defending the title slipped away.

This is Nadal's earliest exit at any Grand Slam tournament since bowing out in the first round in Melbourne in 2016 against fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.

McDonald has never been past the fourth round at a major tournament.

In his lone previous matchup against Nadal, at the 2020 French Open, McDonald won a total of just four games.

Adblock test (Why?)