Can Nadal win a record 21st Grand Slam? Or will Medvedev deny him?

The unstoppable force meets the immovable object when Rafael Nadal takes on Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open on Sunday.

Victory for Nadal at Melbourne Park for the first time since 2009 would make him the first man ever to win a 21st Grand Slam title, including a record 13 French Open crowns, and move him clear of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Nadal is the last of the trio to have a shot at 21, with Federer missing two match points against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final of 2019 before the Serbian had his chance at the US Open last year.

Djokovic was also bidding to become the first man since 1969 to complete the calendar Grand Slam but Medvedev stopped him, claiming his first major title in the process.

"It's a great rivalry," said the Russian. "I'm happy to have the chance to try to stop one more time somebody from making history.

"I know what Rafa is going for, I knew what Novak was going for. I'm not going to say, 'Oh, yeah, I am trying not to listen about this'. But it's kind of their thing, not mine. I'm just there to try to win the final.

"I'm going to play again against one of the greatest. What's funny is I'm going to play again against someone going for a 21st title. Grand slam finals are special. I'm ready."

Nadal has been the surprise package at this year's tournament, having returned from a career-threatening foot problem to reach his first major final since the French Open in 2020.

He missed chunks of the 2021 season, including Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open, while he has also suffered a difficult few days after contracting COVID-19 last month but despite the calamitous build-up to the season, he is unbeaten this year, including an important victory at the Melbourne Summer