Former Sarkozy cabinet minister points finger at Nadal

Former French Minister for Health and Sports Roselyne Bachelot has accused Rafa Nadal of doping during current affaits programme Le Grand 8, broadcast by Canal+ affiliate D8. The former member of Nicolas Sarkozy's cabinet, a trained pharmisit, expressed his views on the Spanish tennis player in relation to the recent admission by Maria Sharapova, who tested positive for banned cardiac drug Meldonium in the last Australian Open. "We know that the famous injury which kept Nadal out for seven months is without any doubt because he tested positive. When you see a tennis player out of action for a long time, it's usually because they've tested positive", the politician said.

Rafa Nadal has never tested positive in doping controls, but he has been under suspicion in France since 2011. Ex-French player Yannick Noah published an article in Le Monde in which he put Nadal's success down to doping. Following those accusations, the French version of satirical puppet show Spitting Image, depicted Nadal signing autographs with a syringe.