Australian Open: Rafael Nadal aims for 21st Grand Slam title against Daniil Medvedev

Nadal will attempt to win his 21st Grand Slam title when he takes on Medvedev in the Australian Open final.

The Spaniard has 20 major titles, which is tied with Novak and Roger, who both missed the Slam.

The first man in the Open era to win his first two majors at successive Grand Slams is 25-year-old Medvedev.

The men's singles final takes place at the park.

Nadal chasing history

Unsure if he would be able to continue playing at the top level as he struggled with a foot injury last year, sixth seed Nadal has been savouring every moment of his Australian Open run.

His second Australian Open title would be his first since 2009. He would become the fourth man in history to win two or more titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

It is a 21st Grand Slam title for the 35-year-old, moving him ahead of long-time rivals Novak and Roger, which holds the most significance.

The fourth-oldest man in the Open era to reach the Australian Open final, Nadal followed up an epic five-set win over Denis Shapovalov with victory in four sets against Italian seventh seed Matteo Berrettini to set up his meeting with Medvedev.

I went through a lot of challenging moments, a lot of days of hard work without seeing a light, but still working and receiving plenty of support from my team and from my family.

There were a lot of conversations with the team and the family about what would happen if things continued like this.

That was not a long time ago. To be able to be where I am today, I don't know, I really can't explain in words how important it is for me.

Medvedev aims for back-to-back Slams

Medvedev and Nadal will remain the number two and five ranked athletes in the world.

Should he win the Rotterdam Open title on 13 February, he could open the door to a shot at the top spot, as long as he follows up his Australian Open victory.

At the US Open in September, Nadal was denied a 21st major title, but he will look to prevent it from happening again.

The Russian won their most recent meeting at the ATP Finals in 2020 but trails 3-1 in the head-to-head - suffering defeat in five sets at the US Open in their only previous Grand Slam encounter.

In the semi-finals, Medvedev overcame Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets but had to settle down after a rant at the umpire.

I will play against one of the greatest. I will play someone going for the 21st Slam.

I think they have a great rivalry. I want to stop someone from making history.

I am not going for the 21st to break these records. I will go for my second one. I know what is happening. I knew what Novak was going for. I just want to win the final.