It's slated to be another chapter in what has become the best rivalry in men's tennis.
This will be their 37th meeting and their fourth in 2013. Nadal leads the head-to-head 21-15 and has won two out of three of their matches this year, including their epic five-setter in the semifinals of the French Open.
They've met so often in their careers and had so many battles that even Nadal is starting to get sick of it, as he joked in his post-semifinal press conference.
Nadal on how much he enjoys playing Djokovic:"I prefer to play against another one...We have to be honest, we don't have to be stupid,no?"— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) September 8, 2013
The stakes are always high when these two meet, but there seems to be more than usual riding on Monday's meeting.
Despite the fact that Djokovichas six Grand Slams and Nadal has 12, and they've both had success on hard courts in their career, both have only won the U.S. Open once.
Additionally, they both have only one major this year—not extraordinary by their own lofty standards—and both will be trying to steal the edge in the player of the year debate. Djokovicwill still be No. 1 after this tournament no matter what, but Nadal has a significant lead in the year-to-date rankings.
Tennisfans have always known that Nadal and Djokovic bring out the best in one another, but their three meetings this year have somehow elevated their already-heated rivalry to higher levels.
They first met in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters event on clay in April, and Djokovic shocked the world by taking out an on-fire Nadal 6-2, 7-6 (1) to stop Nadal's unthinkable run of eight straight Monte Carlo titles.
But it didn't take Nadal long to get revenge. The two squared off next in the semifinals of the French Open. Djokovicwas up a break in the fifth set, but Nadal came back to win the match 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3), 9-7 in a contest that many consider to be the best of the year. The loss ended Djokovic 's opportunity at a career Grand Slam (meaning at least one title at all four majors).
Then the two took their rivalry to hard courts when they faced off in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup Masters in Montreal. That time, their meeting went to a dramatic third-set tiebreaker, which Nadal ended up taking 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2).
And now, a month later, the two best players in the world meet again. This time, it's for all the marbles.
Both have had somewhat straightforward paths to get here. In fact, they've both spent almost an identical amount of time on the court leading up to Monday's final.
Rafael Nadal has spent 12 hours 59 minutes on court, to Novak Djokovic's 12 hours 55 minutes. #USOpen— Rafael Nadal Fans (@RafaelNadalFC) September 7, 2013
Djokovic , however, had the much tougher semifinal. The world No. 1 was pushed to five sets by an inspired Stanislas Wawrinka on Saturday afternoon, but he finally found a way to come through 2-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, despite the fact that he didn't play his best tennis.
This is Djokovic 's fourth consecutive U.S. Open final, and the Serb will surely be motivated to improve upon his 1-3 record in those finals. To do so, he's going to have to get past the biggest test in tennis, Rafael Nadal.
"Well, it's always the biggest challenge that you can have in our sport now," Djokovic told reporters after his semifinal. "I mean, he's the ultimate competitor out there. He's fighting for every ball and he's playing probably the best tennis that he ever played on hard courts."
Nadal, meanwhile, only needed three sets to dismiss the huge underdog Richard Gasquet6-4, 7-6, 6-2. The Spaniard seems to be playing the best tennis of his career on hard courts, which is a scary thought considering he already has two Slams on what was formerly his worst surface.
The world No. 2 is actually undefeated on hard courts this year, having won 21 straight matches and three titles in 2013.
So while Djokovicleads the head-to-head over Nadal 11-6 on hard courts, this final is definitely up for grabs.
One thing is certain, though: Don't make any Monday evening plans. We're likely in for another long, epic chapter in the most entertaining matchup in tennis.
Via Bleacherreporttennis
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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