Rafael Nadal confirmed on Monday, April 25, that he sued former French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot. The 14-time grand slam tennis champion was pressed to file the lawsuit after the minister accused him of failing drug tests which allegedly disqualified him to play in the past.
The tennis superstar stated that his lawyers lodged a defamation complaint against Bachelot in the Paris court. He further said that it was the "offensive remarks" that she said on French TV program called "Le Grand 8" which prompted him to take such legal action.
According to Mirror UK, the ex-minister's comments really upset Nadal and angered his fellow Spanish countrymen as well. Many of his colleagues in the field of sports also came forward to defend him. Plus, the Spanish government and its olympic committee openly criticized Bachelot for her careless remarks.
In March, Bachelot said that Nadal faked an injury in 2012 so as to cover up a positive drug test. At that time, the tennis player was not able to play in the last six months of the game season due to knee injury.
Moreover, with regards to the lawsuit, the world renowned tennis champ said in a statement, "Through this case, I intend not only to defend my integrity and my image as an athlete but also the values I have defended all my career."
Nadal added that he hopes his lawsuit will stop public personalities from falsely accusing or insulting athletes through the media, especially if the claims are not supported by any evidence or does not have any basis at all.
The 29-year-old athlete relayed that in case he wins in the lawsuit and awarded money for the damages, he will donate all of it to a foundation or any non-government organization in France. He also declared that he will not let it go if something like this happen again, and make sure to set things right.
Meanwhile, sick and tired of being accused of using performance-enhancing pills, Nadal personally wrote to David Haggerty, the head of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Through the letter, he requested the organization to release his blood profile records and complete history of drug testing results to the public, USA Today reported.
The ITF confirmed receiving the request from Nadal and attested that he has never failed a doping test. They also made it known that the tennis star never had a record of suspension for violating an anti-doping rule or any other reasons.
Watch Nadal as he threatens to sue anyone who suggests he has ever doped: