Novak Djokovic will make his long-awaited return to tennis on December 29 with either Dominic Thiem or Milos Raonic set to welcome him back at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC).
The 10th edition of the capital showpiece takes place from December 28-30 and the tournament will host the comebacks of both Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka from their lengthy injury lay-offs.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion ended his 2017 season after retiring during his Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych and has since been out of action with an elbow injury.
Djokovic was handed a first-round bye when the draw was officially announced on Tuesday and in the other half of the draw, Rafael Nadal was also given a bye.
The world No1 will take on the winner of Pablo Carreno Busta and Wawrinka – setting up the tantalising prospect of a MWTC final clash between Nadal and Djokovic.
The two first-round ties will be played on December 28 with the semi-finals the following day before culminating in the December 30 final.
Tickets for the landmark 10th edition of the MWTC are on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and all Virgin Megastores across the UAE. For more information, visit: www.mubadalawtc.com.