MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal bowed his head during changeovers and rested his elbows on his knees, the very picture of resignation. But Nadal added that, as the reigning champion of the tournament, he did not want to leave the court via a mid-match retirement. In his lone previous matchup against Nadal, at the 2020 French Open, McDonald won a total of just four games in a lopsided loss. At night, 18-year-old American Coco Gauff was facing 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round. That is all on top of this: The 2023 edition of the Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tournament since Serena Williams and Roger Federer announced their retirements.
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