When is the Brisbane International 2024 draw? Know all about top seeds and players competing in Rafael Nadal's comeback tournament
Rafael Nadal is all set to make his much-awaited comeback from nearly a year-long injury-enforced hiatus at the Brisbane International, which starts on Sunday, December 31.
The draw for the ATP 250 event takes place a day earlier at 9 am AEST, following which the order of play for the first day of action will be released, as tweeted by Brisbane International.
Returning to the ATP Tour after three years, the Brisbane International will feature 32 players. World No. 8 Holger Rune is the top seed, followed by Grigor Dimitrov, Ben Shelton and Ugo Humbert.
Former World No. 1 Nadal has received a wildcard to feature in the main draw, having last played professional tennis at the Australian Open this year, where he lost to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.
Since injuring his hip in the Melbourne Slam, Nadal underwent surgery but faced multiple setbacks in his bid to return to action. However, the Spaniard is finally fit and raring to go in what's likely his final season on the tour.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion landed in Brisbane earlier this week and has hit the practice courts ahead of his return to competitive action. He told the tournament website about his happiness to make his return to the Australian city:
"(I’m) happy to be back on the tour and happy to be here in Brisbane after a few years."
Nadal is ranked 672nd in the ATP rankings, his lowest ranking since June 2002, when he was 762nd.
How did Rafael Nadal fare in his last appearance at Brisbane?
Rafael Nadal made his only appearance at the Brisbane International seven years ago. Interestingly, he was also making a comeback of sorts after shutting down his 2016 season following an early defeat in Shanghai.
Returning from a wrist injury, the then World No. 9 beat the 62nd-ranked Alexander Dolgopolov in straight sets, dropping three games in each set. In the next round, Nadal had a more comfortable outing, beating fellow left-hander Mischa Zverev 6-1, 6-1 to romp into the quarterfinals.
However, the legendary Spaniard met his match in third seed, Milos Raonic. The 37-year-old made a strong start, taking the opening set for the loss of four games before it was all Raonic the rest of the way.
The Canadian dropped three sets in the second set to force a decider, where he conceded four games to move into the semifinal with a final score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Nadal, meanwhile, went on to make a surprise run to the Australian Open final, where he lost to Roger Federer in five sets.