Last year’s Australian Open champion has been knocked out in the second round of the tournament by a 27-year-old American player.
The 36-year-old top seed faced off against American Mackenzie McDonald in a tense match which ultimately ended in injury for the Spaniard.
Nadal appeared to injure his leg late in the second set, which resulted in him calling an injury time-out and left the court with a physio for treatment. Stream more sports news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2023He returned to the court but appeared to grimace in pain when lunging or reaching for shots which allowed the 27-year-old American to slide through with a shock win.Friends and family in Nadal’s player box were visibly emotional as the tennis star battled through the match.
Scenes of his wife Maria wiping away tears prompted a social media storm, with Twitter users taking to the platform to express their dismay at Nadal’s loss.
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