Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem LIVE: Brisbane International latest score as Spaniard makes tennis comeback

Andy Murray’s preparations for the Australian Open suffered a setback following a frustrating first-round loss to second seed Grigor Dimitrov at the Brisbane International.

The unseeded Scot was on course to advance after taking the opening set of a tense battle between two former tournament champions on Pat Rafter Arena.

But Dimitrov hit back to progress 4-6 7-5 6-2 and inflict another early exit on Murray following his second-round victory when the pair met at last year’s US Open.

It’s also a huge day for Emma Raducanu as the Brit makes her return to competition after almost eight months out.

The former US Open champion is currently in action against World No. 134 Gabriela Ruse and has just taken a huge step towards victory by securing a double break in the third and decisive set.

She won the first set 6-3 before Ruse levelled it up but the 21-year-old now leads 5-2 in the third and is serving for the match….

This week it’s not just Nadal making his comeback to competitive tennis. Most notably in the woman’s game, former World No.1 Noami Osaka made a winning return to tennis as she beat Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 6-3 7-6 in the first round of the Brisbane International.

The former world number one has not played since withdrawing from the Pan Pacific Trophy with a knee injury in September 2021. She became a mother for the first time in July.

Four-time grand slam champion Osaka returned to the court in style, breaking Korpatsch to love in the first game and did not face a break point as she clinched the first set in 39 minutes.

Osaka looked set for a routine victory when she broke for a 5-3 lead in the second set, but Korpatsch fought back to take it into a tie-break – Osaka winning 11-9 on her third match point.

“It’s obvious it’s a high percentage that it’s going to be my last time playing in Australia. But if I’m here next year, don’t tell me, ‘you said it’s going to be your last season’ because I didn’t say it,” said Nadal, a two-time winner of the Australian Open men’s singles title.

“You never know what’s going on, you know? I can’t predict how I’m going to be in the next six months. I can’t predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the past 20 years.”

What has Nadal said ahead of his comeback?

“I am feeling good. I can’t complain. I’m feeling much better today than what I expected a month ago.

“For me, it’s impossible to think about winning tournaments. But what’s really possible is to try to enjoy the comeback to the courts. I don’t expect much. Honestly, the only thing that I expect is to be able to go on court, to feel competitive and to give my best.

“It’s going to be a tough process at the beginning. At the end, it’s one year without being on the tennis court and I just have been practising for the last month in a very good intensity. I don’t say that nothing is impossible, but just to be here is a victory.”

The match is expected to start at around 8:30am GMT on Tuesday 2 January.

Rafael Nadal makes his long-awaited return to singles action this morning as the 22-time grand slam champion takes on old rival Dominic Thiem in the opening round of the Brisbane International in Australia.

Nadal has been out since suffering a hip injury at the Australian Open last January – almost a year ago – and underwent surgery in June. The 37-year-old returned to doubles action on Sunday, alongside Marc Lopez, but lost 6-4 6-4 to the Australian duo of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson.

But now the Spaniard switches his attention to the singles in what is a mouthwatering clash with 2020 US Open champion Thiem, who Nadal beat in the 2017 and 2018 French Open finals.

Nadal had previously said he expected to bring the curtains down on his glittering but injury-plagued career in 2024, but in a press conference ahead of his comeback at the Brisbane International he left the door ajar.

“The problem about saying it’s going to be my last season is that I can’t predict what’s going on 100 per cent in the future. That’s the thing,” Nadal said. “That’s why I say probably.”

Follow live updates from the Brisbane International below as Nadal makes his comeback