AusOpen: America’s McDonald knocks out hobbling defending champion Rafa Nadal

Mackenzie McDonald upset a hobbled Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 on Wednesday in the second round of the Australian Open, eliminating the top seed and defending champion after two hours and 32 minutes.

At 4-3 in the second set, Nadal moved to his left to chase a forehand on the first point of the game when he pulled up in pain with an apparent upper left leg injury. At 5-3, the defending champion left the court with a physio for a medical timeout.

Although the 22-time Grand Slam champion battled on, he was clearly not 100 per cent physically for the rest of the match. It is the earliest exit at a major for Nadal since he lost in the first round of the 2016 Australian Open in five sets against countryman Fernando Verdasco.

McDonald is into the third round at the Australian Open for the second time, having advanced to the fourth round in 2021. This was his second victory against a Top 10 opponent (2-13) and he will next play 31st seed Yoshihito Nishioka or Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina.

In the only previous ATP Head2Head clash between McDonald and Nadal, the Spaniard triumphed with the loss of just four games at Roland Garros in 2020. The American made clear from the start of the match that this encounter would not be as straightforward, breaking the lefty's serve immediately.

McDonald would go on to break Nadal's serve five times in the match, ultimately claiming the final break at 5-5 in the third set. The American hit a shoveled backhand passing shot up the line past Nadal, whose movement had been hampered.

Ahead of the second-round encounter, McDonald was excited for the opportunity to face the two-time Australian Open champion on a hard court.

“This is something I’ll remember," McDonald said. "I’m going to make it memorable.”

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Reporting by ATP Tour.