ATP World Tour Finals 2013: Rafael Nadal v Novak Djokovic match preview

A look at Monday night's encounter between the top two players in world tennis at the O2 Arena

Rafael Nadal will face Novak Djokovic in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena on Monday night (GETTY IMAGES)

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet later today to determine who will claim the ATP World Tour Finals when they collide for the 39th time of their hugely successful careers.

Nadal has already secured the world Number One ranking for the end of the year, but he is determined to take a title that he is yet to claim – one of very few.

Of their head-to-head record, Nadal leads the way with 22 victories, and his resurgence to the top of the game this year has seen him defeat the Serbian three times in 2013, with Djokovic taking two wins against the Spaniard, including their last encounter at the China Open back in June.

When it comes to the hard court surface, Djokovic appears to hold a clear advantage, with his 11-6 record giving him the edge heading into the match at the O2 Arena in London. The pair have only met four times in a Grand Slam tournament though, and there is little to choose between them with each man holding two wins apiece.

Nadal ensured his progression to the final thanks to a straight-sets victory over his long-time rival Roger Federer, triumphing 7-5, 6-3 to book his place as Djokovic took a 6-3, 6-3 win over another Swiss in the form of Stanislas Wawrinka.

The face-off will be all the more fiery after Nadal displaced Djokovic at the top of the world rankings just last month, and his progression through the final tournament of the year means that Nadal will definitely enter the 2014 at the top of the game.

Head-to-head:

R. Nadal N. Djokovic

22 Wins 16

16 Losses 22

2 Grass Court wins 1

14 Clay Court wins 3

6 Hard Court 11

$11,047,915 ATP Prize Money $9,263,137

10 Career Titles 6

71-6 ATP Win/Lost Record 67-9