The 2023 Australian Open, a Grand Slam tennis tournament has proven to be a mountain to climb for star players.
On Wednesday, January 18, big names including world number two Rafael Nadal and British sensation Emma Raducanu were bundled out of the tournament.
The former's campaign ended in the hands of American player Mackenzie McDonald.
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Nadal, who has amassed 22 Grand Slams titles in his remarkable career was beaten (6-4, 6-4, 7-5) by the American.
The 36-year-old struggled with a left hip injury throughout the match and needed treatment during the second set on Rod Laver Arena.
He managed to finish the match, eventually going down to McDonald in two hours and 32 minutes for his earliest exit from a grand slam since the 2016 Australian Open.
“I didn’t want to retire [as] the defending champion here. I didn’t want to leave the court with a retirement,” Nadal told reporters even as he congratulated McDonald for the win.
On the other hand, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu exited the tournament thanks to a (6-3, 7-6) defeat in the hands of Coco Gauff.
It was a tough loss for the Brit against a below-par Gauff, particularly in the second set.
Although she is more than a year younger than her rival, Gauff has a lot more experience after a steadier rise up the ranks and is considered one of the favourites to win the tournament.
Raducanu was reported to be clearly struggling with some stomach issue during the tie, but she had her chances to at least force a third set.
However, Gauff held her nerve in the tiebreak to progress to the third round in the presence of her supportive parents.
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