A devastated Rafael Nadal says pride was a key factor in his decision to play on through injury during his shock Australian Open defeat, as he did not want to retire from the match as defending champion.
Key points:
- Nadal was hampered by a hip injury in his loss to MacKenzie McDonald
- He says he was determined to finish the match despite the pain he was experiencing
- Nadal was defending champion at Melbourne Park
Nadal injured his hip during his 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 loss to unseeded American Mackenzie McDonald in their second-round match on Rod Laver Arena.
The 22-time major singles champion had felt hip pain for “a couple of days”, before the injury flared up during the second set against 65th-ranked McDonald.
Despite receiving treatment, the 36-year-old was clearly in discomfort and his movement was restricted for the remainder of the match.
Nadal admitted he struggled to run and even hit a backhand, but as defending champion he refused to pull of the match.
“I didn’t want to retire, to be defending champion here,” he told reporters at Melbourne Park after entering his media conference with a slight limp.
“I didn’t want to leave the court with a retirement. Better like this in the end. I lost.
“That’s the sport at the same time. Just try your best til the end. It doesn’t matter the chances that you have. That’s the philosophy of the sport. That’s the essence of the sport by itself.
“I tried to follow that during my tennis career.”
Nadal said he was trying to stay positive amid the enormous disappointment he was feeling.
“it’s a tough moment, it’s a tough day and you need to accept that and keep going,” he said.
“In the end, I can’t complain about my life at all. So just in terms of sports and in terms of injuries and tough moments, that’s another one.
“I just can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally at this time because I would be lying. It’s hard for me, but let’s see.”
The ailment comes in the wake of Nadal’s injury-affected 2022 season, which included him withdrawing from his Wimbledon semifinal against Nick Kyrgios with an abdominal tear.
Nadal’s injury struggle
Nadal was trailing 4-6, 3-4 when he bent over in pain after stretching for a forehand return behind the baseline.
He began hobbling, but composed himself to finish off the eighth game, which he lost, before calling for the trainer at the change of ends.
Nadal left the court for a medical timeout as his support staff inside Rod Laver Arena held their breath, while the concern for the Spaniard was serious enough for tournament director Craig Tiley to check on his condition.
Nadal’s wife Maria was fighting back tears and coach Carlos Moyá looked disconsolate as his charge received treatment.
To their relief and that of the crowd, Nadal re-emerged and played on, but it was clear he was in pain.
McDonald won the second set and to the credit of Nadal he chose to continue, despite his obvious discomfort.
It brought back memories of when Nadal was troubled by a back injury during the 2014 Australian Open final against Stan Wawrinka yet refused to quit as the Swiss went on to claim the title.
Calling upon his deep reserves of emotional strength, Nadal stayed competitive in the third set against McDonald, however at 5-5 he dropped his service game, giving his opponent the chance to serve for the match.
At 0-30, Nadal showed he still had a trick or two up his sleeve, with a dinky forehand across the net keeping him the contest.
But McDonald was not to be denied and the 27-year-old closed out the match to reach the Australian Open third round for the second time in his career.
Nadal left the court to a standing ovation, with many in crowd no doubt wondering if this will be the last appearance of the two-time Australian Open champion on court at Melbourne Park.