The first match of Rafael Nadal's comeback will be against fellow Grand Slam champion Dominic Thiem.
It seemed the Spaniard would not face a disastrous draw at the Brisbane International presented by Evie, his first tournament since the 2023 Australian Open, when he was slotted to play a qualifier in the first round. On Sunday former World No. 3 Thiem was drawn to that line.
It will be the pair's 16th Lexus ATP Head2Head battle, with Nadal leading their series 9-6. Their last encounter came at the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals, where Thiem triumphed in two tie-breaks.
Nadal and Thiem practised together in Brisbane earlier in the week. "Had some great practice sessions in the last couple of days! 🔥" Thiem wrote on Instagram.
Little did they know they would stand across the net from one another in the first round.
Thiem rallied from a set down in both of his qualifying matches to win in three sets. In the first round, the Austrian overcame a 6-2, 5-3 deficit as well as a snake scare to advance.
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