Pat Rafter confirmed for the 2017 Champions Tennis

Former world No.1 Pat Rafter will return to the event at the Royal Albert Hall.

Former world No.1 Pat Rafter is the first name announced for this year’s Champions Tennis, taking place at the Royal Albert Hall from the 30 November to the 3 December 2017. It marks the fifth time Australian legend will play the event.

Rafter began his professional career in 1991, with highlights including two US Open wins and reaching the Wimbledon final in both 2000 and 2001. He reached the No.1 spot in the world in 1999, and was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.

“I always look forward to playing in London and there is no court quite like the Royal Albert Hall,” he says. “Champions Tennis across the years has become a real highlight in the calendar for me and I’m excited to be back competing for another year.”

Champions Tennis is now in its 21st year, running over the course of five days with a daytime and evening session on each. In the past, the event has welcomed the likes of John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Andy Roddick, Tim Henman, Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, Goran Ivanisevic, and Bjorn Borg, as well as special appearances by Andy Murray, Jamie Murray, Sir Elton John, Billie-Jean King, and Novak Djokovic.

More names are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

For an idea of what to expect from the event, check out our minimaster report from 2016.

Tickets for the 2017 Champions Tennis are on sale now through Ticketmaster.co.uk.