Australian Open 2023, Day 3: Two key factors in Rafael Nadal's shock defeat to Mackenzie McDonald at AO

Mackenzie McDonald beat defending champion and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-4 7-5 in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open on Wednesday (January 18).

The match, which lasted for around two and a half hours, was a sorry sight for Nadal's fans as the 36-year-old Spaniard had limited movement throughout the third set after having suffered an injury.

It was testimony to the veteran's resolve that he was able to take five games in the third set despite being in seemingly great pain. On that note, let’s take a look at the two keys to the Australian Open match:

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#1. Rafael Nadal was not assertive enough with his forehand in the first set

Mackenzie McDonald in action against Rafael Nadal at the 2023 Australian Open.

Mackenzie McDonald broke Rafael Nadal in the very first game of the match to set the tone. The American then held his serve to go 2-0 up and did not concede his lead thereafter. Nadal’s forehand, which is usually a great weapon, was not that forceful in terms of putting pressure on the American.

Instead of brute force, the Spaniard relied more on the angles while hitting the crosscourt forehand – his bread-and-butter shot- to the American’s backhand, but the latter was equal to the job and more than held his own with his backhand. Nadal also hit the ball into the net with his backhand on a couple of occasions, when it was crucial for him to win points.

McDonald, meanwhile, went to the net frequently in the first set to take the attack to the Spaniard. His forehand, too, caused the former World No. 1 a lot of problems as he dispatched most of the short balls provided to him for outright winners.

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#2. Rafael Nadal’s injury made the job easier for Mackenzie McDonald as the match progressed

Mackenzie McDonald once again broke Rafael Nadal in the first game of the second set, but Nadal broke back almost immediately. However, the American then broke Nadal again to lead 4-3 and then held his serve to go 5-3 up. The 22-time Grand Slam champion rushed the net more frequently in the second set, judging that he was not able to apply enough pressure on the American from the baseline.

The 36-year-old seemed to have an issue with his back/hip in the eighth game of the second set while stretching to his forehand side to retrieve a shot. The discomfort was evident, and he had to take a medical time-out while trailing 3-5 in the set.

Nadal did not withdraw, but his movement was restricted thereafter and he could not run properly to chase the ball down. In a desperate measure, Nadal began hitting his forehands with a lot more power and also hit a few wonderful return winners.

He probably should have adopted that aggressive tactic from the very beginning. While he managed to hold his serve in his first five service games in the third set, he was then broken in the 11th game, after which McDonald served out the match.

Nadal could win only 49% of the points on his second serve in the match against McDonald’s more respectable 63%. Both players hit 42 winners, with the Mallorcan being aggressive in the third set with 24 of them. However, Nadal’s high-risk approach also meant that he committed 10 unforced errors in the third set alone, finishing with 31 against the American's 22.