Rafael Nadal plays Novak Djokovic on Monday for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title. The match starts at 3 p.m. ET. Watch the live stream HERE.
The World No. 1 meets the World No. 2 again on Monday. Nadal has dropped just one set en route to his second appearance ever in the World Tour final. Beyond just winning his 11th title of the season, Nadal has the chance to win his first-ever World Tour Finals trophy.
"For me every match means a lot and every tournament means a lot, but it's true that this tournament is special and I never had the chance to win here," Nadal said, via the Herald Sun. "So it will be great if I have the chance to finish the year with a victory. But I know a lot of work remains and probably the most difficult one is still to come."
Djokovic, who defeated Nadal in the Beijing final last month, stands in Nadal's way.
"I think if I don't play my best tomorrow, I don't have a chance," said Nadal. "I need to play more aggressive."
When asked if playing in a late semifinal on Sunday would affect him, Nadal answered: "The final is (Monday) evening so it's not going to affect anything. If you had the final tomorrow afternoon, probably the player who is going to win tonight is going to be in a little bit worse position than me. But that's not the case. The winner will have a chance to sleep well in the morning."
Djokovic will look for another win over Nadal to close out the season. The Serb earned a spot in the final with a win over Stanislas Wawrinka (6-3, 6-3) on Saturday. After being usurped of the No. 1 ranking in the ATP, Djokovic is excited at another chance to defeat his rival.
"It's going to be a great final," Djokovic said. "... It's always a thrilling competition between me and Rafa. Let's say we know each other quite well. There'll be no secret between us on the court. The better will win."
Nadal has won 22 of his 38 matches against Djokovic. Monday is a rematch of the recent 2013 China Open final, where Djokovic defeated Nadal in two sets (6-3, 6-4) to claim the Beijing title.
*Stats via MatchStat.com and ATPWorldTour.com.
