Spanish tennis player, 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal at a press conference commented on his unexpected exit in the second round of the Australian Open.
Nadal, the world number two, sensationally lost in three sets to American Mackenzie McDonald, ranked 65th on the ATP list (4-6, 4-6, 5-7) on January 18 and finished his career in the tournament. The meeting lasted two hours and 26 minutes.
Rafael Nadal
I still can't figure out what the problem is. My hip still bothers me, I still need to analyze what happened. Right now it's hard to say exactly what the cause is. I'm tired of talking about injuries. I tried to fight to the end. I thought about withdrawing, I couldn't hit a backhand or move at all, but I wanted to finish the match. I didn't consult my team about withdrawing. I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I didn't want to finish as the reigning champion. I tried my best until the end.
Note that in the second set of the match Nadal asked for medical help because of problems with his legs.
