Australian Open men’s final 2022: Sam Groth previews Daniil Medvedev vs Rafael Nadal

If Rafael Nadal thinks Daniil Medvedev’s semi-final tirade exposed a weakness, Sam Groth says he will be sorely mistaken. Read his full preview of what promises to be an enthralling final.

You could not get a more heart versus head match-up for a men’s final if you tried.

Rafa Nadal ‘the legend’ chasing the fairytale of a 21st slam up against Daniil Medvedev ‘the disrupter’ looking to cause another mammoth upset and win his second slam.

A fan favourite up against the newly crowned villain of the Australian Open.

In the absence of Novak Djokovic, it’s fair to say both men find themselves in positions we might not have predicted a fortnight ago.

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Now history is on the line for them both.

Nadal, the man we have on many occasions feared we would never see play again, looking for a second Australian title, a 21st over all and the chance to edge ahead of his great rivals in the all-time slams stakes.

Rafael Nadal embraces Roger Federer after winning the Australian Open in 2009.

The Spaniard is chasing his 21st Grand Slam title.

Medvedev meanwhile is seeking to become the first man to ever win a slam immediately after his maiden, not to mention the fact that victory on Sunday could see him dethrone Djokovic as world No 1.

We can talk endlessly about both men and their repertoires of weapons on the court, but this final comes down to a more important battle than one of just strength and power.

It’s all in the mind.

Everyone watched on in shock and perhaps some disgust when Medvedev lost his mind against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday night. It was a terrible look for him but I have to commend him for owning it afterwards. He didn’t shy away from the criticism and he held his hands up to admit it was regrettable.

Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev share a moment after the 2021 Australian Open final.

Medvedev is aiming for his own history.

He lost the plot there’s no doubt and while many might see it as a weakness for Rafa to take advantage of as he did with Denis Shapovalov, it’s actually one of Medvedev’s biggest strengths.

Tennis tantrums and on-court meltdowns are part of the game – they have been for decades. Back in the day, people flocked to see John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors play tennis but they also wanted the antics and hissy fits.

What is rare however, is seeing a player lose control to the extent that Medvedev did and recover.

His ability to turn off the emotion and gather himself so quickly after exploding is not something I have seen in many players.

It’s remarkable.

We saw it in his clash with Nick Kyrgios too. He shut-out the crowd and got on with business.

Medvedev lets fly during a fiery semi-final clash.

He will need that same resolve because the crowd will be all in on Rafa.

It’s a mix of Medvedev playing the villain role and the fact Nadal is just so loved over here. He just has to channel the adrenaline that ‘being hated’ gives him.

No disrespect to Nadal, but Medvedev has already come up against his biggest challenge of the tournament.

Fresh off the marathon that was his quarter-final with Felix Auger Aliassime, if anyone was going to topple his campaign it was Tsitsipas.

The comeback Medvedev mounted was a hell of a statement.

That’s the grit that wins you slams.

For Nadal to win this, he has to block out the noise of slam No 21. We all thought he would do it at the French Open last year and it didn’t happen.

We saw what the pressure of a golden slam did to Djokovic last year.

Nadal just needs to dig deep on the newest element to his game; the art of being unpredictable.

Rafael Nadal’s mike drop moment. Sam Groth says he will be the overwhelming crowd favourite.

Rafa’s style has been analysed so much for so long we’re all so familiar with how he goes about things. So I was as surprised as many of my commentary colleagues to see so many subtle but significant changes to his game plan this year.

Nadal is playing the most aggressive tennis I have ever seen from him. He’s no longer waiting metres beyond the baseline and taking his opponents on in endless exhausting rallies.

He is standing high and going in for the kill.

We saw it against Matteo Berrettini. The Italian was two sets down before he even realised what was happening.

It was clinical from Rafa and he will need to do the same tonight.

He has to catch Medvedev unawares and hurry the match. Get things on his terms early because if Daniil takes the first set, he will run away with it.

Rafa needs to come in knowing he has nothing to lose. The fact he could win another title here 13 years after his first blows my mind. Some careers don’t even last that long, never mind grand slam dominance.

My heart so badly wants Rafa to win here again. Unfortunately my head says Medvedev will spoil the fairytale.