By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday August 4, 2021
After reaching a career-high ranking of 57 in April of 2019, a groin injury that needed surgery would end up pushing Mackenzie McDonald out of the Top-100 in August of 2019.
The American, a former UCLA standout, needed seven months to rest and rehab, and his slide down the rankings didn’t stop until all his points dropped off from the first half of 2019. By last August, McDonald was clocking in at 269 in the world, a long way from where he was a year ago.
But McDonald had gained a lot of confidence from his achievements in 2018 and 2019, a period in that saw him build his self-belief as he racked up eight Top-50 wins and starting to strut his stuff against top-flight competiton.
That confidence, combined with a lot of hard work, has finally brought the American back to the Top-100, and he’s extremely satisfied to make his return, which was clinched thanks to his three-set win over Benoit Paire on Wednesday at the Citi Open.
“It's big,” he said. “Honestly now that's come to something. It's about damn time. I've been grinding, I've been working so hard to come back. So many people put so much emphasis on the top hundred. The players do. It's a big statement.
“Being back in that is really big for me, to be honest. I personally am going to pat myself on the back. I think it's really well deserved. I think I played some great tennis this year. I think it's just the start again.”
McDonald has amassed a 34-17 record across all levels, and he has been more than willing to drop down to the challenger level to pick up matches, when necessary. He’s done that seven times, but he’s also been good on the senior tour, reaching the round of 16 at the Australian Open, the second round at Roland-Garros and qualifying for Wimbledon, where he drew Karen Khachanov in the first round (no joke).
But now that he’s back inside the Top-100 McDonald can surely get a lot higher, as he’s not defending a lot of points and the ATP ranking will go back to their typical 52-week format on August 15.
Next stop Top-50? It will take a while, but it’s certainly within reach.
“I'd say I'm a better tennis player,” the 26-year-old said, when asked to compare himself to where he was two years ago. “I was playing great tennis, doing a lot of really good things when I got hurt. I was really at my peak. I think stepping away from the court for a while, appreciating all the things I had out here, understanding my game, going through it again, having the confidence to go through it again, too, was big.
“I think I have more tools now. I feel like I know -- I'm older. You learn things as you get older. That's just natural. More experiences. Yeah, I'm definitely better now.”