Australian Open: drama about Nadal: dream of 23rd Grand Slam title burst for the time being - wife sheds tears

It was a bitter defeat: the aging superstar Rafael Nadal failed in the second round of the Australian Open.

Australian Open: drama about Nadal: dream of 23rd Grand Slam title burst for the time being - wife sheds tears

It was a bitter defeat: the aging superstar Rafael Nadal failed in the second round of the Australian Open. The 36-year-old Spaniard lost to the American Mackenzie McDonald 4: 6, 4: 6 and 5: 7 on Wednesday and conceded his earliest exit from the hard court tournament in Melbourne since 2016. The 22-time grand injured himself at the end of the second set -Slam tournament winner at the hip, after that Nadal had no real chance of a successful catch-up.

In the stands of Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, his wife Maria Francisca Perello shed tears into a handkerchief. Disappointment was palpable throughout the entourage in the Players Box, with some holding their hands in front of their faces at the bankruptcy.

For Nadal, his big dream of a 23rd Grand Slam title has burst for the time being. Only last year did he secure his 22nd title by winning the French Open, making him the sole record holder ahead of Novak Djokovic (21) and Roger Federer (20). He also won the Australian Open a year ago and traveled to Melbourne as the defending champion.

"I didn't want to give up, I'm the defending champion here. Giving everything to the end, no matter what the odds, is the philosophy of the sport," said Nadal afterwards. He would have had slight hip problems before. He was "tired" and "frustrated" that returning from injury would be such a big part of his tennis career: "I just can't say I'm not mentally destroyed at the moment because then I would be lying."

Nadal seemed frustrated even before his injury. The Spaniard scolded the chair umpire, on the bench he hit his racket with his hand after a break. He then injured himself while taking a long step. Nadal hobbled to the bench with a pained face, where he had a brief treatment in the upper area of ​​his left leg. He then disappeared into the dressing room for a medical break.

After a few minutes, the second in the world rankings returned and also directly won his service game to make it 4: 5 - but his movements were not smooth at all. Opponent McDonald seemed overwhelmed by the situation, there was a break in his previously strong game. But he recovered and advanced to the third round.

Six months ago, Nadal even had to give up due to injury at the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon. At that time he did not compete in the semifinals against Australian Nick Kyrgios due to a torn abdominal muscle. Nadal has also been suffering from chronic foot pain for years, which is why, according to his own statements, he had already thought about resigning not too long ago.

"Most days I was sad, I had lost the joy of playing tennis. That's why I thought I had to retire," he recently told the Spanish newspaper "Marca". In the meantime, however, a new treatment is working well without being able to completely solve the problems.

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