Rafa Nadal, “mentally shattered” after falling eliminated against Mackenzie McDonald

The main cause of Nadal’s defeat was a puncture in the hip of his left leg. He noticed it while playing and it adds to the long list of physical problems he has accumulated in recent months. The 36-year-old has this season dealt with a chronic left foot injury, knee problems and a muscle tear in the abdominal area that sidelined him at Wimbledon and the US Open. However, in the press conference after the defeat, the Mallorcan has focused on something else: “If I say that I am not mentally destroyed, I would be lying.” “It’s been two days [amb alguna molèstia a la zona], but what happened to me today is not comparable. I don’t know what I have, if it’s the muscle, the joint… Now I feel like I can’t move, but I don’t really know what I have until they do all the tests,” he added in his appearance.

Despite the permanent discomfort, Nadal did not want to withdraw from the duel. “Being the reigning champion of the tournament, I didn’t want to quit, I just wanted to finish the match,” argued the winner of 22 Grand Slams, who, despite his history of injuries and his age, is thinking of nothing more than recovering se and get back on the slopes with energy: “I’ve been through all this too many times in my career and I’m ready to do it again, even though it’s not easy […] I’m not going to give up anything.” That is, he will work to reverse the physical problems and try to fight to increase his tally of major tournaments.