Nadal plans to sue over doping accusation

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal plans to sue an ex-French government minister who alleged his seven-month absence in 2012 was “probably due to a positive doping test”.

The comments were made by France’s former Minister for Health and Sport Roselyne Bachelot who was in the chair from 2007 until 2010 in the Nicolas Sarkozy government. Last week, she made the accusations relating to Nadal while speaking about Russian star Maria Sharapova’s failed drugs test. “When you see a tennis player stopping for months, it’s because there’s been a positive control,” the French politician had said.

Reacting to it, the 14-time Grand Slam winner also said he will sue anyone else who alleges “something similar in the future”. Nadal added he is tired of the allegations and won’t allow them to go unchallenged. “A minister of France should be serious,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC on Monday. “This time is the time to go against her. We are going to sue her.”

“This is going to be the last one, because I’m going to sue her. I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. Not any more,” the 29-year-old said. Nadal is currently in Indian Wells, America, playing in a tournament where he beat Gilles Muller 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in two hours and 14 minutes to enter the third round.