Earlier, Nadal defeated Jack Draper in the opening round in a tough four-set match despite making a lot of unforced errors and Draper cramping up.
Digital Desk: Rafael Nadal lost to World No. 65 Mackenzie McDonald in the second round on Wednesday, ending his attempt to defend his Australian Open championship. Nadal's chances of winning his 21st Grand Slam and successfully defending his championship were ended by this shocking upset.
Throughout the first set, the Spaniard's level was off-kilter as he battled to produce depth and power on his groundstrokes and only made 65% of his first serves. Nadal suddenly halted at the baseline following a rally in the middle of the second set, McDonald behind him by a break, gripping his body and displaying anguish on his face.
Nadal took a break from the tournament when behind 4-6, 3-5 to get medical attention for what seemed to be a hip issue. He never looked to be as competitive again after the protracted delay. His body language was dejected, and the third set's video showed his team's worried expressions.
Even Maria Francisca Perello, Nadal's wife, broke down in tears as she saw her husband struggle.
When Nadal had to take a medical break during the second set, Jim Courier observed in the commentary, "He's in complete disbelief of what just happened."
Earlier, Nadal defeated Jack Draper in the opening round in a tough four-set match despite making a lot of unforced errors and Draper cramping up. Nadal had anticipated doing better in the second round, but he came off as even less impressive.
Taking advantage of Nadal's poor form, McDonald put on a fantastic display to earn the biggest win of his career. In the third round, he will now take against Yoshito Nishioka or Dalibor Svrcina.
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