Rafael Nadal exit: 'Emotional’ scenes after Australian Open loss pose questions - Tim Henman and Laura Robson
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Updated 18/01/2023 at 13:55 GMT
Rafael Nadal saw the defence of his Australian Open title slip away after he suffered a second-set injury during his match with Mackenzie McDonald. The 36-year-old would play on through the pain barrier but lost in straight sets. His box looked particularly emotional as he left the court – and it was that reaction that piqued the interest of Eurosport experts Tim Henman and Laura Robson.
'Emotional’ reactions after Nadal loss pose questions - Henman and Robson
Rafael Nadal’s team looked particularly emotional as the 22-time Grand Slam winner departed the court after he lost to Mackenzie McDonald at the second-round stage of the Australian Open.
Defending champion Nadal was knocked out after picking up a hip injury in the second set of his match against McDonald. The world No. 65 came through to win the match in straight sets, 6-4 6-4 7-5.
The 36-year-old was trailing 6-4 5-3 when he pulled up with his injury. He immediately called on the trainer at the end of McDonald’s service game before leaving the court for a medical timeout.
After Nadal returned to the court and played out the second set, the 36-year-old continued and fought on valiantly, but ultimately was not fit enough to force a fourth set as McDonald held his nerve to progress.
There were emotional scenes at the conclusion of the match with Nadal given a lengthy standing ovation by his team and the crowd, and it did not go unnoticed by Eurosport experts Tim Henman and Laura Robson.
“Rafa’s team stayed until the very end,” began Robson on Eurosport's Australian Open coverage.
“They clapped him off the court as he was walking back through the tunnel. Does that happen every time? I’m not totally sure that it does."
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Nadal limps out with hip injury as McDonald claims victory - Australian Open highlights
Henman agreed that it was an unusual sight, noting that Nadal’s wife - Maria Francisca Perello - was in tears as the 22-time Grand Slam winner trundled off the court.
“I’m not sure,” began Henman, “but I was just thinking that it was pretty tough to watch what was happening on the court with Rafa, but it looked like it was getting pretty emotional in the box as well. Did you see Rafa’s wife crying on the side of the court?”
Robson added that emotional scenes had soon attracted the interest of the on-sight photographers, adding that it was difficult to ascertain the severity of the injury.
“Yeah, they were behind me,” added Robson, “so I couldn’t really see, but I knew something was going on because the photographers must have got wind of it all of a sudden.
"They were on the chairs trying to get pictures of everyone in the box’s live reaction and seeing what the vibe was because it was really tough to get a read on how bad his injury was.
“It must be pretty sharp, especially if it is hip flexor-related which it looked like it was. If you pull up that badly, it’s going to be at least a couple of weeks [out].
"You never really know until you get off court and do the recovery and get it scanned. You could tell it wasn’t looking good.”
For his part, Nadal said in his post-match press conference that he did not want to retire during the match because he believes in “the philosophy of the sport”.
“I didn't ask my team, I'm old enough to make my own decisions,” he said.
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'I have been a couple of days like this' - Nadal admits his injury is not new
“Being the defending champion, I did not want to retire here. Just try your best till the end no matter the chances, that is the philosophy of the sport."
Asked what the injury was, Nadal said it was his hip and that it had been an issue for him for a “a couple of days”.
"I have been a couple of days like this but nothing like today," he said.
"I don't know if it is muscle or if it is the joint. I have had a history with the hip... I have had treatments but it was not this amount of problem.
“It's frustrating and difficult to accept. I can't come here and say life is fantastic right now, not now. Now is a tough moment, I need to accept that and keep going. In the end, I can't complain about my life at all.
"I can't say I'm not destroyed mentally because I would be lying. It's hard, but hopefully it's nothing too bad.
"I went through this process too many times in my career and I'm ready to keep doing it, I think. But it's not easy, without a doubt.
"I lost the match, that's it... I tried till the end. I was not able to hit the backhand at all and I was not able to run for the ball."
McDonald will play either Dalibor Svrcina or Yoshihito Nishioka in the third round.
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The 'very concerning' moment Nadal pulls up injured in second set
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