Rafael Nadal (1) meets Novak Djokovic (2) in the 2013 ATP World Tours Finals tonight. The two will face each other for the 39th time in their wondrous careers as the best players of this generation will once again meet in a championship. That's what happens when you are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 frequently. Who has the advantage heading into this matchup? Here's a look at their head-to-head record in 2013 and i their careers.
The two have played each other at very pivotal points in tournaments. 17 their 36 battles have come in the final round. Djokovic and Nadal, just in 2013, have met in three finals; Beijing, U.S. Open and Monte Carlo. Djokovic has that advantage 2-1, but it was Nadal who won the Grand Slam battle at the U.S. Open, claiming his second major in the 2013 season.
In 2013, Nadal and Djokovic met five times and it was the Spaniard who posted the better record, going 3-2 with victories at the French Open, Montreal and the U.S. Open. The two victories Djokovic earned were at Beijing, the most recent match between the two and Monte Carlo, where Djokovic resides.
Now, when it comes to the career head-to-head; advantage Rafa. In their previous 38 meetings, Nadal has won 22 matches while Djokovic has 16 victories in total. He started his career completely owning Djokovic. Nadal won five of the first six meetings between the two. Furthermore, through their first 18 matches, Nadal completely owned Djokovic, posting a 14-4 record against the Serb.
Djokovic eventually caught up and has now gone 12-8 in their last 20 matches, though Nadal still has won more head-to-head matches between the two.
Believe it or not, though Nadal has earned many accolades throughout his career, the one tournament he has never won; ATP World Tour Finals. Djokovic has this as advantage. He has played at the O2 Arena in the finals, recently capturing the title in 2012.
