In a thrilling opening round match at the U.S. Open, Mackenzie McDonald outlasted Félix Auger-Aliassime in a three and a half hour battle. But what fans didn’t see was the countless hours of preparation and dedication that led to McDonald’s surprise win.
For both McDonald and Auger-Aliassime, as well as hundreds of other players at the tournament, a match day extends well beyond just the warm-up and the contest itself. The preparation for such a major event starts weeks and months in advance, with players striving to improve their rankings in order to secure a more favorable path at the Grand Slam tournaments.
McDonald, the 28-year-old American who recently broke into the top 50 of the singles rankings and upset Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, began his U.S. Open preparation on August 22 when he arrived in New York. He trained hard for the first few days, gradually tapering off to recover before his match against Auger-Aliassime.
The routine of practices and travel can become repetitive for players. McDonald compared life on tour to the movie “Groundhog Day,” where a man relives the same day over and over again. He emphasized the importance of setting small goals and finding motivation to continuously improve.
Two days before his opening match, McDonald’s day began with attending a fan event organized by his racket sponsor, Wilson. After dropping off his bags, he spent about half an hour interacting with children, taking pictures, and playing tennis. With that commitment fulfilled, McDonald focused on more intense training, working with a physiotherapist and practicing for two hours.
His first hour of practice was against Marcos Giron, another American player, with dozens of fans stopping by to watch. As his practice ended, several fans gathered courtside in hopes of an autograph or a picture, but McDonald had to quickly move on to his next practice session on a different court.
The U.S. Open provides vans to shuttle players and their trainers to the farthest practice courts to avoid having them navigate through crowds of fans. McDonald and his trainer quickly entered a van, as court time is precious in the early rounds of the tournament.
McDonald’s last practice took place on Sunday, just a day before his match. He scaled back his workload to only one hour of tennis and spent the rest of the day resting and taking his mind off of the game.
On match day, McDonald arrived at the venue four hours before his scheduled start time. He received treatment from a physiotherapist, hit with a partner, had lunch, and prepared his sports drinks and rackets. The timing of his arrival can be tricky to predict due to potential delays caused by rain or long matches. But McDonald’s dedication to preparation is evident, as he believes every little detail contributes to his performance.
Finally, McDonald and Auger-Aliassime took the court around 5:45 p.m. The match was a grueling battle, with McDonald eventually prevailing in four sets. The intense atmosphere of Arthur Ashe Stadium spilled over to Court 5, where cheers could be heard throughout the match. McDonald’s victory propelled him to the second round, but the routine of mental and physical preparation began again as he started gearing up for his next match.
Each win is an incremental victory that motivates McDonald to keep pushing forward on the tour. His ultimate goal is to win a title, and he believes that every week presents a new opportunity that can change his career. With his impressive win over Auger-Aliassime, McDonald is eager to continue chasing his dreams at the U.S. Open.