Former World No.1 Patrick Rafter (pictured) will play competitive singles tennis for the first time in seven years after announcing that he will compete in the BlackRock Tour of Champions event in Graz, Austria, next week (July 29th - August 2nd).
Rafter, who thrilled the tennis world with his dynamic serve-and-volley tennis, is the fifth former Grand Slam champion to join the BlackRock Tour of Champions this year. Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, Michael Chang and Yevgeny Kafelnikov will all play events on the circuit of former World No.1’s, Grand Slam title winners and Davis Cup champions in 2008. Sampras won the title in Sao Paulo, Brazil last month and will appear at the Royal Albert Hall in London in December. Edberg will also play in London, but first in Paris, September 18-21. Chang and Kafelnikov are signed up to compete at the AFAS Classics in Eindhoven, October 2-5, alongside another newcomer, the 1996 Wimbledon finalist, Malivai Washington.
Rafter won the US Open in 1997 and 1998, and reached Wimbledon finals in 2000 and 2001, losing pulsating matches against Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic respectively.
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Ivanisevic has also signed up to compete in Graz, which means a repeat of their Wimbledon final is a possibility.
It has taken Rafter longer than most players to be tempted by the BlackRock Tour of Champions.
"It's probably the first time since retirement that I have actually felt this way," he admitted.
"This year I have decided to get fit again. I train about 5 days a week which is gym, running and some other interesting fitness techniques. I surf as much as I can as well. I understand quite a few of the players play the tournaments (on the BlackRock Tour of Champions) so while it would be great to win in Graz, I just want to play well."
In Graz, the Australian will face home favourite Thomas Muster, defending champion and former Wimbledon winner Michael Stich, former World No.1 Marcelo Rios and crowd pleaser Henri Leconte.
Last week in Istanbul, Ivanisevic won the Turkcell Legends Cup to move to No.1 in the South African Airways Champions Tour Rankings.
After Graz, the Tour will move on to Algarve, Portugal for the Vale do Lobo Grand Champions CGD (August 5-8).
