Just a day ago, after securing his 100th career title with his title triumph in Geneva, Novak Djokovic said, “I’m just grateful to clinch the 100 here. I had to work for it, that is for sure.” However, despite finally ending his title drought, the Serb had very little time for any celebration, as he is now all set to start his campaign at the 2025 French Open. Djokovic has won this title three times in his career (2016,2021,2023). Can he secure his fourth this season? Well, at first, he needs to get a winning start at Roland Garros. He’ll be facing the 30-year-old American, Mackenzie McDonald, in his first match. It will be their first meeting on the Tour, and guess what? The American has a very interesting background. Let’s check out more details about McDonald’s.

Where is Mackenzie McDonald from? What’s his nationality?

Well, Mackenzie McDonald was born on April 16, 1995, in Piedmont, California. McDonald holds American nationality and represents the United States in professional tennis competitions. If we take a look at this tennis career, he began playing tennis at the age of 3 with his father, Michael, who is also an oral surgeon. His career-high singles ranking has been number 37. Although McDonald may not yet be a global tennis celebrity, his ability to cause a few upsets in big events is very well-known in the tennis world.

Interesting Fact: Mackenzie McDonald idolizes Roger Federer, and he has also defeated Rafael Nadal in the Round of 64 at the 2023 Australian Open 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

What is Mackenzie McDonald’s ethnicity and religion?

Mackenzie McDonald’s father is of Scottish and English descent descent and his mother, Vivianesque ‘Vivian‘ McDonald, is of Chinese heritage. Although he holds American nationality, McDonald is of European and Asian ancestry. Speaking about this in an interview with UBITENNIS, he once said, “I’m 25% Scottish, 25% English, and half Chinese.“ However, regarding his religion, there are no publicly confirmed reports detailing his religious beliefs.

Interesting Fact: His girlfriend is fellow tennis player Maria Mateas, a Romanian American.

Which high school did Mackenzie McDonald attend?

Mackenzie McDonald attended Piedmont High School in California for two years. That’s the same high school as Coco Gauff’s ex-coach, Brad Gilbert.  During his sophomore year, he transitioned to online schooling to dedicate more time to his tennis development. He played college tennis at UCLA, where he had a standout collegiate career, capturing the 2016 UCLA singles and doubles titles – a rare feat that underscored his enormous talent and potential in the sport.

Talking about the other people who made a big impact on his career, when he was three, his father paired him with legendary coach Rosie Bareis. At times, young McDonald revealed that he didn’t always enjoy the sport, but he was “forced to go.” Other than Bareis, he was also coached by the former Top 10 player Wayne Ferreira from the age of 11. He had three choices when choosing a college program to attend, including UCLA, which his grandfather, aunt, father, and even his sister had attended. Talking about his choice, he once said, “In the end, I chose UCLA because it is a highly ranked academic university that gave me the tools I needed to become a professional.“

His sister, Dana, is a sophomore on the gymnastics team. While speaking about his super-talented elder sister and their connection with UCLA, he said, “My sister is a terrific gymnast, and we both split up when we were young, doing our own sports and our own thing, so I think UCLA will reunite us.“

His family, along with his childhood coaches have played a crucial role in helping him reach his tennis goals. Talking about his long-term goals in 2019 during an interview with MarketWatch, Mackenzie McDonald said, “Long-term, it’s to keep improving. Right now, I’m working on my clay game, since it’s the most underdeveloped part of my game.“

Talking about his performance this season, McDonald has a win-loss record of 16-11 with just 1-3 on clay. Before this tournament, his journey at the Madrid Open was cut short abruptly due to an injury in the first qualifier itself. Can Mackenzie McDonald bounce back from that disappointing ending and stun the tennis world with a massive upset at Roland Garros?