22-time Major champion Rafael Nadal is set to make his eagerly awaited return to competitive play at the Brisbane International tomorrow. Our champ will join forces with 41-year-old Marc Lopez, a pivotal member of his coaching team since 2021, in a first-round men’s doubles match.

Their wildcard pairing is scheduled for a showdown against the all-Australian team of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, marking the final match at Pat Rafter Arena.

Date: December 31, 2023

Match time: Fourth on after two women’s and one men’s matches, so expected around 4 PM AEST local time / 1 AM EST – New York, Montreal / 6 AM GMT – United Kingdom / 7 AM CET – Spain, France, Germany, Italy.  To convert to your local time, use this website.

Venue: Pat Rafter Arena

For Rafa, this doubles match holds particular significance as it marks his return to this format since participating alongside Roger Federer in the latter’s farewell match at the Laver Cup in 2022.

Vamos Rafa & Marc!