Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini have had some contentious clashes in the past.

Asked his reaction to Fognini's US Open suspension for bad behavior, Nadal said the Grand Slam board could have acted faster in the case.

More: Fognini Bounced From US Open For Bad Behavior

The 30-year-old Italian was hit with a provisional suspension from the Flushing Meadows major today following a series of fines incurred after he blew up and spewed sexual insults at Swedish chair umpire Louise Engzell during his first-round singles match.

"Of course is not a positive thing," Nadal said when asked his reaction to the Fognini suspension. "Of course if you are not doing the right things on the court, of course you need to be in some way affected, no?

"But at the same time is true that things can be made happen earlier because I believe that he played two matches after that match, two doubles matches. If they want to suspend him, will be much better to do it immediately, not three days later or four days later, because then he was here playing for a few days. Now he is out already winning two matches.

"I think is not the ideal situation. Probably something that will go immediately to check it, and if he deserve a suspension, he take it, and if he don't deserve, don't take it."

Informed officials may have been waiting to translate Fognini's outburst, which was captured on court-side microphones, Nadal replied "It takes four days for that translation? I don't think so."

Photo credit: Reuters