In one of the biggest upsets at the Australian Open this year, Mackenzie McDonald defeated top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal. The unseeded American stunned the tennis community with his victory in straight sets and has advanced to Melbourne Park’s third round.
What you should know about the 27-year-tennis old’s career thus far is provided here.
Who is Mackenzie McDonald’s and His career achievements?
Despite not having a well-known name, McDonald has had a successful career since going pro in 2016. The footballer, born in California and now 27 years old, has struggled with injury flare-ups and COVID-19 setbacks.
He and current women’s star Danielle Collins shared the Oracle US Tennis Award after their impressive showings at several Futures tournaments in 2017.
The right-hander subsequently made his maiden appearance in the top 100 of the ATP rankings in 2018 after making it to Wimbledon’s fourth round and reaching the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
Despite having a solid start to the year, the American lost the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury he sustained at the French Open. When COVID-19 arrived in 2020, McDonald found it challenging to get back into shape.
He recovered by 2021 when he participated in all four Grand Slam competitions in a single year for the first time. He repeated this accomplishment in 2022.
McDonald’s is presently ranked No. 65 in the world for men’s singles and No. 84 in the world for doubles.
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Mackenzie McDonald’s Background and Education
McDonald played college tennis well before making his professional tennis debut. He was ranked No. 1 by ITA before enrolling at UCLA as a freshman in 2014. He also went by “Mackie,” and he was a Bruin until 2016 when he led them to the Pac-12 title and won the national singles title.
He decided not to return for his senior year, and later in 2016, he became a professional. He participated in his first Grand Slam tournament that year as a wildcard in the US Open when he was eliminated in the first round.
Who are Mackenzie McDonald’s Parents?
The daughter of Michael McDonald and Vivianesque “Vivian” McDonald is Mackenzie, also known as Mackie. His mother is of Chinese ancestry, while his father is English and Scottish. He was raised in California and was born there in Piedmont. Oral surgeon Mackenzie’s father is also a fervent supporter of his son if his social media messages are to be believed.
Born on the island of Alameda and raised in California, Vivian is an artist and photographer with her studio. Vivian seems to lead a rich and fulfilling life that isn’t solely centered on her son’s tennis career, as seen by the fact that most of her social media posts are about her artwork. But it’s also evident that Michael and Vivian are both staunch supporters of their son.
How did Mackenzie McDonald beat Rafael Nadal?
McDonald, who entered the match as a significant underdog, fought against the odds to defeat tennis great Nadal in the second round of the Australian Open this year.
Even though Nadal dealt with a leg ailment the entire match, his underdog rival quickly took the initiative and established control. Despite losing to McDonald in straight sets (6-4 6-4 7-5), the Spaniard conceded that the American played great tennis even before he became injured.
“I don’t know if I will win the match in good conditions,” he said.
Later, Nadal acknowledged he had an Iliacus Psoas lesion of grade 2 in his left leg, for which he will need six to eight weeks to recuperate.
Mackenzie McDonald Australian Open results and next match
McDonald faced a challenging opponent in fellow American Brandon Nakashima before his Nadal upset. After leading by two sets, he lost the following two before battling back to win in five grueling sets.
In the third round, he will go up against Yoshihito Nishioka, a Japanese player seeded 31st. That game is set to start on Friday, January 20, at 2:30 pm local time (Thursday, January 19, 10:30 pm EST).
| Match | Opponent | Result |
| First round | Brandon Nakashima | 7-6(5) 7-6(1) 1-6 6-7(10) 6-4 |
| Second round | Rafael Nadal | 6-4 6-4 7-5 |
| Third round | Yoshihito Nishioka | – |
Mackenzie McDonald’s victory surprised everyone
Even considering Nadal’s hip ailment, Mackenzie’s victory over Nadal was a surprise upset. One of the all-time greats in the sport was defeated by Mackenzie in three straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, and 7-5.
It was one of the most significant victories of McDonald’s still-young career and the kind of victory that could help him establish an even more excellent reputation for himself in the world of tennis.
To get to his match against Rafael Nadal, Mackenzie defeated fellow American Brandon Nakashima. He will now play Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan in the third round of the competition. The 27-year-old has experienced several significant upsets over his career, including beating Juan Martin del Potro at the 2019 Delray Beach Open.
He could not compete for the remainder of the 2019 season due to a hamstring injury, and he had trouble in 2020. He competed at the Australian Open in 2021 and advanced to the fourth round before falling to Daniil Medvedev. At the Citi Open in 2021, he also defeated the defending champion Nick Kyrgios, and he went to the championship match before falling to Jannik Sinner. One of the top 50 players in the world right now is.
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Final Lines
American citizen Mackenzie McDonald, 27, hails from Piedmont, California. He has Scottish, English, and Chinese ancestry and many call him Mackie. At the age of three, he began playing tennis with his father, and by the time he was eleven, Wayne Ferreira, a former No. 6 South African player, was coaching him.
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