Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic: Who Will Come Out on Top in US Open Final?

In one of the 2013 U.S. Open's less surprising turns of events, Novak Djokovic will go head-to-head with Rafael Nadal in the final Monday afternoon. 

With Roger Federer on a seemingly irreversible decline and Andy Murray still yet to fully recover from the emotional roller coaster of winning his home Grand Slam, it never really felt like there was going to be any other final. 

Only Stanislas Wawrinka—so often the bridesmaid to Federer's bride, the No. 2 to his Swiss counterparts' Doctor Evil, the Ron Weasley to his Davis Cup teammate's Harry Potter—provided any kind of resistance to either of the pair throughout the fortnight, taking Djokovic to five sets Saturday.

But then again, Nole loves being taken to five. It's kind of his thing.

The great thing about Djokovic vs. Nadal—in fact, the great thing about tennis as a whole lately—is that the big matches rarely disappoint. In recent years, these two have produced some utterly ridiculous matches of tennis.

It will be a record-equaling 37th time that Nadal and Djokovic have met on the ATP tour (I like to think that they also have Rocky-Apollo style rematches in secret), as well as a record-equaling 11th time that the pair have met in Grand Slam matches. Nadal currently leads Djokovic, 21-15.

But who is the favourite to come out on top on this occasion?


Rafa's Rejuvenation

For anyone else, Nadal's unbelievably successful return from his serious knee problem would be incredible. But let's face it, the Spaniard is pretty much superhuman. 

Only Rafa, in fact, could take a debilitating knee problem and turn it into a positive. He is now a hard-court specialist—far more aggressive, far more dangerous and far more scary. His ability to serve aces, hit winners and shorten points is more deadly than ever.

In 2011 and 2012, Nadal couldn't really get near Djokovic. In 2013, this has all changed, and the rivalry has turned very much back in the way of the man from Majorca.

It remains to be seen whether Rafa attacks in the final quite in the same way he has attacked his previous opponents.

Rafa knows how much Djokovic loves to go the distance, and it remains to be seen whether Nadal's knees can hold up to a five-hour punishment in the same they could pre-injury. He may have beaten him in a five-set epic on clay in May, but hard courts are a different animal altogether. Nadal won't want this one to be as drawn out.

Djok's determination

It's been an altogether frustrating year or so for the stretchy Serbian. He may have won his routine Australian Open in January, but other than that, it has not really gone his way.

Beaten by Murray at the Olympics and the U.S. Open at the back end of last year, he was then ousted by Nadal this year at the French, despite being a break up in the fifth. To cap it all off, he was then beaten again by Murray at Wimbledon, losing in straight sets to the inspired Scotsman.

There is also little he can do between now and the end of the season to stop Rafa from taking his No. 1 ranking. It has not been the greatest of times for a man who demands only the very best.

The U.S. Open provides an opportunity for Djokovic to bury all of this disappointment behind him. I'm sure he would also like to bury the man who denied him his dream victory at the French Open in May, depriving him of the opportunity to honour his coach and complete a career Grand Slam in one fell swoop.

Djokovic will know that his best chance of beating Nadal will come from extending every point, trying to get the Spaniard to revert back to his previous defensive style. But will the Serbian be vindictive enough to play on his opponent's weakness? 

In 2011 and the first half of 2012, he had an aura of invincibility. Even Nadal didn't think he could beat him.

Now, he is becoming the man who loses in semifinals and finals. The U.S. Open will be a chance for him to get back to the very top (ignoring the fact he's technically still ranked No. 1 in the world, obviously).

The Conclusion

It's going to be a great match, and it's probably going to be a long match.

We know how Djokovic is going to play, the key will be whether Nadal can successfully employ his new style against his old nemesis.

If the Spaniard can get on top and attack his opponent successfully, shortening the points while not getting drawn into one punishing baseline rally after another, then he will be favourite for the win.

Djokovic knows he can run all day now in a way Nadal can probably no longer do, he will try and get every shot back and keep forcing him into running that extra yard and hitting that extra shot.

It's going to be fascinating, frantic and ferocious, and it's tantalizingly too close to call.


Nadal in 5.