Rafael Nadal loses practice match against Hubert Hurkacz ahead of 2023 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal played a practice match against World No. 11 Hubert Hurkacz on Thursday to fine-tune his preparations ahead of the 2023 Australian Open, and went down fighting in a 7-6, 7-5 effort.

The unofficial match was part of a 4-day long schedule of exhibition practice matches, with limited tickets to several star-studded sessions. Plenty of fans have turned up over the last few days to watch the likes of Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, and Coco Gauff. Prices have been as low as $10, with all the proceeds going towards the Australian Tennis Foundation.

With Hurkacz and Nadal in the same quarter of the draw, it is safe to say the 90-minute practice would have contributed to their preparations ahead of the tournament.

5 games all set 2.
1hr 15min practice time per the clock so far, now 8pm here ⏰ https://t.co/nwddvedOhu

Unfortunately Rafa lost the practice match, 7-5 in Set 2🤷🏼‍♀️🇦🇺 https://t.co/CkLbusGwHr

Hubert Hurkacz later tweeted a picture with the Spaniard after the practice session, thanking him for his time.

"Thanks @RafaelNadal for a great practice today. Good to be back in Melbourne," the Pole wrote on Twitter.

Thanks @RafaelNadal for a great practice today 😊🎾 Good to be back in Melbourne! @AustralianOpen https://t.co/lt6QRYJ7WP

With World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz out of action due to a right leg injury, Nadal will be the top seed at the 2023 Australian Open. The 22-time Slam champion will begin his campaign against Britain's Jack Draper in the first round.

Rafael Nadal's projected path at the 2023 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal with the 2022 Australian Open trophy

The draw for the 2023 Australian Open was released on Thursday. Top seed Rafael Nadal finds himself in the same quarter as last year's finalist Daniil Medvedev, second-ranked American Frances Tiafoe, and 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz.

The Spaniard's title defense at next week's Australian Open will begin with an opening-round match against Jack Draper. A second-round encounter against either Mackenzie McDonald or Brandon Nakashima would await Nadal if he gets past the first hurdle.

31st seed Yoshihito Nishioka could potentially face the Spaniard in the third round. In the fourth round, Nadal could meet the likes of Karen Khachanov and Frances Tiafoe.

If the 36-year-old makes it to the last eight, we could have a repeat of last year's epic final against Daniil Medvedev. A potential semi-final match against either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Felix-Auger Aliassime is also on the cards, before the possibility of a final showdown with nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic.