Rafael Nadal stated 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 irritating, generally it’s troublesome to just accept, generally you’re feeling super-tired about all these items by way of accidents,” stated the 22-time Grand Slam winner.

“Now it’s a tough moment. It’s a tough day and you need to accept that and keep going. You know, in the end, I can’t complain about my life at all.

“(I) just can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally at this time, because I will be lying. It’s hard for me. But let’s see, hopefully it’s nothing too bad.”

The Spaniard’s legendary profession has continuously been haunted by bodily frailties, with 2022 one other rollercoaster 12 months.

After successful the Australian Open, he suffered a stress fracture of the ribs in March earlier than requiring each day pain-killing injections in his left foot to see him by to a 14th French Open title in June.

Then his bid for a 3rd Wimbledon crown was shattered by an belly harm.

Asked why he saved going, Nadal replied: “It’s a quite simple factor: I like what I do. I like enjoying tennis. I do know it’s not ceaselessly.

“I wish to really feel myself aggressive. I wish to battle for the issues that I’ve been combating for nearly half of my life or much more. And that’s it. It’s not that difficult to grasp.”

But he also acknowledged that at his age it was getting harder to deal not only with injuries, but the recovery process then regaining fitness to compete at the level he expects.

“The last seven months have been, again, another tough period of time,” he stated.

“I don’t know what can occur sooner or later. But I have to keep away from once more an extended time frame exterior (of the game).

“Because if not, it’s powerful.”

He added: “Let’s see how the injury is and then let’s see how I can manage to follow the calendar.”

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