What year is it again? The 2017 Australian Open has Roger Federer facing off against Rafael Nadal in the men’s singles final, as another chapter in their rivalry is about to be written.

Ranked at No. 17 and No. 9 respectively, both Federer and Nadal came into the Australian Open after injury problems in 2016 and their resurgence in getting back to the finals has featured vintage performances from both players. As two of the biggest names in the game, the spotlight is always on them but more so this time around with No. 1 and No. 2 seeds Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic being shockingly eliminated early on in the tournament.  

The match can be seen Sunday at 3am et/Midnight pt on TSN 1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 and TSN GO.

With Murray and Djokovic out, it appeared the door would be open for a player like No. 3 seed Milos Raonic to win his first Grand Slam championship. However, he was no match for Nadal as Raonic lost in straight sets in the quarterfinal while the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori both lost to Federer. The tennis world hasn’t been treated to a Federer-Nadal Grand Slam final since 2011 at the French Open, which Nadal won.  All time, Nadal holds the edge in their rivalry 23-11. Since 2008, Nadal has won 15 of their 20 meetings. However, Federer won their last meeting at Basel in 2015, taking the match in three sets.

Prior to the Australian Open, Federer last played in July 2016 at Wimbledon, losing in the semifinals to Raonic before shutting it down for the season due to a knee injury.  In his march to the final, Federer defeated Nishikori and No. 10 seed Tomas Berdych before dispatching Mischa Zverev, who notably beat Murray in his previous match, in straight sets. Federer went the distance in the semifinal against Wawrinka, taking the match in five sets.

After missing two months with a wrist injury that caused him to withdraw from the 2016 French Open, Nadal struggled at times in 2016 as it was the first year since 2004 where he failed to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal.  The Australian Open has seen the Nadal of old where he defeated No. 6 seed Gael Monfils, Raonic and No. 15 Grigor Dimitrov in that order to set up his date with Federer in the final.

The tournament has seen both Federer and Nadal return to form. For Federer, his speed and ability to place shots in impossible areas have been on display. Like Federer, Nadal’s speed has been a hallmark but his trademark power and tenacity have him looking like vintage Nadal.    

While Federer and Nadal are no longer at their peaks, they have played some excellent tennis so far in this tournament. The Federer-Nadal rivalry is one of the best rivalries in tennis and it’s hard to envision Sunday’s match being anything less than a classic.