Rafael Nadal’s wife was seen in tears as he needed an off-court medical break during his second-round Australian Open match against Mackenzie McDonald due to a new injury. The mood in his player camp appeared gloomy as the defending champion could be seen wincing in pain before calling the physio to the court toward the end of the second set. He ultimately lost 6-4 6-4 7-5.

The 2022 champion in Melbourne, Nadal, was outplayed by the world No. 65 for the first set and a half before an injury started to set in toward the end of the second set. Nadal was then seen crouching down on his thigh after finding it difficult to push off it.

He called the physio to the court, where he received some initial care and assessment. However, he was removed from the court for a medical time-out, which worried his team. Coach Carlos Moya could be seen looking worried as the camera panned over his player box, and his wife Mery Perello could be seen crying and then wiping her tears away.

Nadal at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2023

Ranked world no.2, Nadal has achieved a composed 1-3 record in 2023. He lost to 6-4 6-4 7-5 to Mackenzie McDonald in the Australian Open 2nd round.

The Spaniard won 92 titles in his career: 24 on hard courts, 63 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 4 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)