Mackenzie McDonald Secures Long Odds Upset Victory Over Rafael Nadal in Surreal Match

Mackenzie McDonald Secures Long Odds Upset Victory Over Rafael Nadal in Surreal Match article feature image
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Cameron Spencer/Getty. Pictured: Mackenzie McDonald.

Mackenzie McDonald beat Rafael Nadal in the second round at the Australian Open to secure an upset victory with a closing line of +920.

Of course, the storylines for the match will rightly revolve around the sad injury that hobbled Nadal for the entire third set of the match, but the legend and 22-time Slam champion carried on and did not retire.

Prior to the injury, however, McDonald was playing excellent tennis, and he got out to a 6-4, 5-3 lead before Nadal called his first medical timeout.

Martin Keep/Getty. Pictured: Rafael Nadal.

From there, it was apparent that Nadal was compromised, though he gutted out the rest of the match and competed well despite the injury. Ultimately, McDonald took the third set 7-5.

Nadal came in to the match around -2500 to advance into the third round.

The two met once prior, playing in the French Open in 2020. Of course, the conditions at Roland Garros are ideal for Nadal, and he has dominated the tournament for decades.

Nadal dispatched of McDonald in dominant fashion, 6-1, 6-0, 6-3.

It's unclear what the future holds for Nadal, who has overcome so many injuries – particularly over the last few years.

For now, McDonald will be able to cherish his win, which comes as one of the biggest upsets (in terms of odds) that the tennis world has seen in a long time.

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