Rafael Nadal’s wife was left in tears after the tennis legend crashed out of the Australian Open with a hip injury.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner was defeated 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 by Mackenzie McDonald of the United States in the second round of the Australian Open. It was his earliest exit from the tournament since 2016.Â
Nadal was trailing by a set and a break when he pulled up with what appeared to be a hip injury, taking a medical timeout towards the end of the second set.
He limped through the rest of the match, but later revealed that the pain from his injury had been “nothing like today”.
Nadal’s wife, Maria Francisca Perello, was visibly upset as she watched her husband struggle during his encounter with McDonald.
The camera caught her wiping away a tear, with the remainder of Nadal’s team also clearly disappointed at the outcome of the match.
As Nadal walked off the court, his box remained behind to join in with the crowd’s standing ovation.