When Mackenzie McDonald faced off against Félix Auger-Aliassime in the first round of the U.S. Open, fans only saw a glimpse of the effort McDonald had put into his surprise win. The road to a match day extends far beyond warm-ups and the actual contest. It involves weeks and months of preparation, with the grueling professional tennis tours demanding players to improve their rankings for a better chance at the Grand Slam tournaments. Once they arrive at the U.S. Open, new obstacles arise as players adjust to the courts, the atmosphere of New York, and the demands of one of the largest sporting events in the world.
For McDonald, the 28-year-old American who broke into the top 50 of the singles rankings in 2022 and upset Rafael Nadal in this year’s Australian Open, his preparation for the U.S. Open began on August 22 when he arrived in New York. After training hard for the first few days, McDonald tapered his training to recover before his four-set match against Auger-Aliassime. However, the practices and travel can become repetitive. McDonald agreed with fellow player Jessica Pegula when she compared the routine on tour to the movie “Groundhog Day.” He noted how things can become monotonous, from week to week, locker room to locker room, and hotel to hotel. To combat this, McDonald believes in setting small goals and finding things that drive him to believe in his ability to improve.
Two days before his opening match, McDonald had other commitments besides focusing solely on his play. He attended a fan event put on by Wilson, his racket sponsor, before his practice on Saturday. After that, his day consisted of intense tennis sessions, working with a physiotherapist, and finding time to eat. He trained for hours, with dozens of fans stopping by to watch him. Despite the distractions, McDonald had to remain focused as time was of the essence. To avoid walking a long distance through crowds of fans, the U.S. Open provides vans to transport players and their trainers to the practice courts located farthest away.
On Sunday, McDonald scaled back his workload to only an hour of tennis in preparation for his match the next day. He spent the rest of the day resting, hydrating, and taking his mind off tennis. Even when he’s not training, McDonald engages in mental preparation by creating a game plan and studying analytics.
On match day, McDonald arrived at the court four hours before his scheduled match time. This allowed him to receive treatment from a physiotherapist, practice with a partner, have lunch, and prepare his sports drinks and rackets. However, predicting match start times can be challenging due to external factors like rain or lengthy matches. McDonald won his first-round match against Auger-Aliassime in a grueling three and a half hour battle, securing his spot in the second round.
Victories like these motivate McDonald to continue pushing himself on tour. He desires to win a title and believes that each week presents a new opportunity to achieve that goal. After his win, the routine of mental and physical preparation begins again as he gears up for the second round.