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"Destroyed Mentally": Rafael Nadal Reacts To Early Australian Open Exit

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Rafael Nadal said he was "destroyed mentally" after slumping out of the Australian Open with a second-round defeat Wednesday in which he struggled badly with a hip injury.

But the 36-year-old defending champion said he loved tennis and hopes to keep going, despite his latest injury disappointment.

The Spanish great hurt himself stretching for a shot in the second set against American Mackenzie McDonald, and while he battled on, his movement was hampered and he lost 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

Crashing out in the second round was his earliest defeat at a Grand Slam since 2016. Top seed Nadal said he wasn't sure if it was a muscle or joint problem with his hip but it had been with him for "a couple of days". "Sometimes it's frustrating, sometimes it's difficult to accept, sometimes you feel super-tired about all this stuff in terms of injuries," said the 22-time Grand Slam winner. "Now it's a tough moment.

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MELBOURNE: Daniil Medvedev on Friday became the latest title contender to crash out of the men’s draw at the Australian Open, but Iga Swiatek led a charge of the women’s seeds into the last 16.
Rafael Nadal said he felt "sad" and "tired" on Wednesday, after his earliest exit at a Grand Slam since the 2016 Australian Open when he was eliminated in the first round.

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