Whether this is the last time the Australian Open sees the 36-year-old at Melbourne Park remains to be seen. The Spaniard has been written off so many times by a series of careerthreatening injuries only to return.
But his limp 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 second-round defeat by Mackenzie McDonald, during which he aggravated a hip injury, was met by his wife wiping away tears while sat in the stands.
For his part, Nadal (below) described himself as "mentally destroyed" shortly after coming off court and said the pain in the hip, which has been an issue for him in the past, was worse than he had ever encountered before.
Having long struggled with a foot problem, and then been derailed by an abdominal issue at Wimbledon last year, which curtailed his 2022 season, it begs the question how much more the body and mind can take.
This story is from the January 18, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the January 18, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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