Andy Murray joins Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem at Abu Dhabi exhibition in December

Andy Murray will join the likes of Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, which will take place in Abu Dhabi from December 16-18. The Scot completes a lineup of big names set to participate in the exhibition event in the Gulf.

Also part of the field at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship are Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, and Denis Shapovalov.

The event will also witness a women's singles match between US Open champion Emma Raducanu and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic.

The exhibition tournament will give Murray some much-needed match practice ahead of the 2022 Australian Open. The three-time Major winner did not feature in the last two editions of the Melbourne Slam, but is expected to make an appearance next season.

“I’ve got many happy memories of Abu Dhabi and I’m looking forward to returning,” said Murray.

“With Emma (Raducanu) also playing on day one, we will be flying the flag for British tennis and looking to put on a strong display.”

Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem to make their comebacks in Abu Dhabi next month

Rafael Nadal (L) and Dominic Thiem

Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem have missed a large portion of the 2021 season due to foot and wrist injuries respectively. Both players sat out Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics, and the US Open.

Nadal ended his season after a pain-ridden run in Washington, while Thiem's campaign came to a close after the ATP 250 event in Mallorca.

Nadal did not need to undergo surgery for his problem and hit the practice courts in October. Thiem, on the other hand, returned to full training earlier this month after confirming that he too would not need surgery on his wrist.

The pair will return to action at a crucial time ahead of the 2022 Australian Open. If they are fully fit, both Nadal and Thiem could make an impact in Melbourne next year. Thiem narrowly missed out on the title in a five-set final in 2020, while Nadal won the Slam in 2009, and reached the final in 2014, 2017, and 2019.

Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is yet to confirm his presence in the 2022 edition due to Victoria's vaccine mandate.