Copyright © 2016. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

For some time, Rafael Nadal has threatened to get litigious to maintain his integrity against accusation of drug use. Now the former world no.1, currently on a competitive surge after winning back-to-back titles for the first time since 2013, yesterday filed a defamation lawsuit against former French minister Roselyne Bachelot.

The Frenchwoman who previously served as a minister in her nation’s government for both Health and Sport, made her accusation against Nadal last month in the TV show Le Grand 8. Going back to 2012, Bachelot talked about the Spaniard’s seven months long absence from competition and said: “It was probably due to a positive doping test.’

Through his long-time publicist Benito Perez-Barbadillo, Nadal issued a statement that in full read:

“I hereby make public the defamation law suit against Mrs. Roselyne Bachelot, that I have filed today April 25th 2016 before the Paris law courts.

“This legal proceeding was instigated after Miss Bachelot made offensive remarks last March on Le Grand 8, program of French channel D8.

 “The lawyer in charge of the case is Maître Patrick Maisonneuve, lawyer at the Paris bar.

“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. I also wish to avoid any public figure from making insulting or false allegations against an athlete using the media, without any evidence or foundation and to go unpunished.

“Should the tribunal consider there has been a wrong-doing and the sentence recognizes the right to damages, any compensation will be paid back in full to an NGO or foundation in France.

 “On the other hand, I ask for total respect regarding the legal procedure just started and would like to express my complete trust in the French justice system who will be judging the legal case.

“I will not be making any further statement about the case.”

Members of the Spanish Olympic Committee and members of the Spanish government have also voiced criticism of Bachelot while Nadal’s uncle and coach branded Bachelot ‘an imbecile’.

Copyright © 2016. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.