Rafael Nadal overcomes hitting himself in face with own racket to beat Fabio Fognini in US Open second round

By Ben Morse, CNN

Updated 0821 GMT (1621 HKT) September 2, 2022

Rafael Nadal receives medical treatment on his nose after hitting himself with his own racket during his match against Fabio Fognini at the US Open.

(CNN)Rafael Nadal overcame accidentally hitting himself in the face with his own racket to beat Fabio Fognini in the US Open second round.

The 36-year-old had to battle back from a slow start to beat Fognini over four sets 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-1 on Thursday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium. But the victory came with a scary moment in what was to be the final set, one which left the 22-time grand slam champion bloodied. As the Spaniard stretched to return a backhand to Fognini, Nadal's racket bounced off the court and inadvertently hit him in the face. Nadal immediately clutched his nose, dropping his racket and forfeiting the point. He laid down on the court by the umpire's chair and moved his hand away from his nose, showing the blood which had begun to flow. Read MoreHe needed a medical timeout to receive attention for the injury, later returning to close out the set. After the victory, Nadal played down the injury, saying he felt a «little bit pain, honestly, but good.»Nadal receives medical attention after accidentally hitting himself in the head with his racket."(It) was just a strong hit. At the beginning, I thought I (broke) the nose because it was a shock at the beginning. Was very painful," Nadal explained. «I lost little bit the — I don't know how to say in English — but a little bit the feeling of my head. It's about being a little bit out of the world.»I don't know, seems like it's not (broke). I am not sure yet. I don't know. I think it's getting bigger and bigger."He joked with a smile: «No, that's just a