"He's never going to give up, regardless of the situation" - Mackenzie McDonald on his upset victory over an injured Nadal in Melbourne

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 after two hours and 32 minutes.

"I'm really happy with how I started that match," McDonald said. "I thought I was playing really well, serving great, returning well too. I was really taking it to him."

Read also

Becker believes end is coming sooner rather than later for Nadal: "That's why we should celebrate him as long as we have him"

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 a left hip 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.

Read also

Prize Money Breakdown 2023 Australian Open with $76.5m in total on offer, 3.4% increase in record amount

"It was actually pretty tough to stay mentally engaged a little bit there, but I found a way to just pull it out, so I'm happy," McDonald said. "He's an incredible champion. He's never going to give up, regardless of the situation. Closing it out against a top guy like that is always tough.

"I was trying to stay so focused on what I was doing, and he kind of got me out of the rhythm with that. I'm happy I just kept focusing on myself in the end and got through, I got it done."

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.

"I think I've got the guns to [beat him]. I was blasting the ball, hitting really flat. Last time I played him was on Chatrier. He kicked my butt," McDonald said. "On a clay court it's tough to hit through, but here, I like my chances on hard. I really wanted to take it to him on a hard court. I'm happy I got that opportunity and got away with [a win]."