Here’s what Mackenzie McDonald’s bracket looks like at the 2023 Barcelona Open: Matches and dates
In his first game he will face a fellow countryman which will be a stiff test. Should he win, he’ll take on the world No. 4. The bracket hasn’t been kind to the American.
The field is stacked in Barcelona, which means there will be no favors done and no quarter given. If Mackenzie McDonald is to advance to the business end of the tournament, he’ll have to pass some very serious tests in order to do so.
Casper Ruud stands in Mackenzie McDonald’s way
While it might be fair to say that the majority of the big guns are on the other side of the bracket, world no. 52 and American, Mackenzie McDonald is going to have his work cut out for him in Barcelona. Off the bat, he will face fellow American, Ben Shelton for the right to play world No. 4 Casper Ruud in the second round of the tournament. It’s worth noting that McDonald is 4-6 on clay this year, which is to say not great but not terrible. Ultimately, the 27-year-old will have to find his rhythm as quickly as possible if he’s to make any headway in the tournament.
On the other hand, it would be unfair not to mention that this is the same Mackenzie McDonald who defeated the legendary Rafa Nadal in straight sets back in January at the Australian Open, no small feat to be sure. If McDonald can win his first game and then in turn navigate his way past the Top 5 ranked Norwegian, his highest-ranking potential opponent for the third round would be No. 33 seed Francisco Cerundolo. This is to say, that while difficult the American could potentially see his way to the quarterfinals of the tournament via a path that leads through only one top seed. On the other hand, there is the chance that he could meet world No. 12, Karen Khachanov if he manages to make it there. At any rate, what’s certain is that while his side of the bracket may be less ominous than the other, it’s by no means favorable. When all is said and done, McDonald is going to have to come out swinging.