Who is Fabio Fognini? Everything you need to know about Rafael Nadal's 2022 US Open opponent


2022 US Open Grand Slam logo with red background

Legendary tennis player Rafael Nadal will look to book his place in the third round of the 2022 US Open when he takes on Italy's Fabio Fognini in the early hours of Friday morning.

Nadal survived a first-set scare against Australian underdog Rinky Hijikata during his first-round game and now takes on the experienced Fognini for a spot in the third round.

Here is everything you need to know about Nadal's opponent for this second-round US Open encounter.

Who is Fabio Fognini?

35-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini has been a regular on the men's singles tennis circuit for over a decade, winning nine singles titles with the oldest dating back to 2013 and peaking at 9th in the men's singles rankings.

The flamboyant Fognini has endured a frustrating season in 2022, suffering early defeats in all three of the Grand Slams so far, including a first-round defeat at Wimbledon against Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor.

Fognini heads into the 2022 US Open as the World No.60 and is unlikely to spring an upset against Nadal, who has beaten him 13 times throughout the pair's careers and in eight of the last nine matches between the two players.

Where to watch Fabio Fognini vs Rafael Nadal

British tennis fans will be able to watch the 2022 US Open Grand Slam via Amazon Prime Video, with the streaming platform serving as the UK's exclusive broadcaster this summer.

For US tennis fans, ESPN is the place to go in order to watch this summer's US Open matches.

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