Melbourne: Rafael Nadal staged a remarkable comeback in 2013 and now becomes the biggest threat to Novak Djokovic's Australian Open crown.
After nine months out of the game with a career-threatening knee injury, Nadal returned to win two Grand Slams and to finish the year as World No.1, making the biggest tennis story of 2013, reports Xinhua.
The Spaniard is looking to become the first man in Open Era to win every Grand Slam at least twice while he will also be hoping to move closer to Roger Federer's record of winning 17 Grand Slams, currently holding 13.
Australia's Rod Laver is the only player to have won all the four the Grand Slam titles twice.
Djokovic has already made Melbourne Park his own Grand Slam by winning four titles in the last five years. The Serbian is now aiming to win the title for a fourth consecutive year and hoping for a fifth triumph which would surpass the record he currently shares with Federer and Andre Agassi.
Djokovic finished the 2013 with an unbeaten run through the World Tour Finals and two Masters events in Shanghai and Paris and now is on a 24-match unbeaten run.
