Melbourne:
The Australian pair went down 6-4, 7-5 to American Eric Butorac and South African Raven Klaasen.
Former US Open champion Rafter, 41, broke a 13-year retirement to partner Hewitt in the doubles.
Rafter, Australia's Davis Cup captain, thrilled a large crowd at Hisense Arena with his touch around the net.
"I didn't want to make an idiot of myself and I thought I got through it okay," Rafter said.
Hewitt was playing a day after losing a gruelling singles five-setter to Italian seed Andreas Seppi in intense heat.
Topics mentioned in this article
Tennis
Advertisement
Get the Latest Cricket Updates, Check Out Paralympics 2024 Medals Tally, Schedule, Results and News Updates at NDTV Sports. Like Us On Facebook Or Follow Us On Twitter For More Sports Updates. You Can Also Download The NDTV Cricket App For Android Or Ios.