Nadal to sue French ex-sports minister over doping claims
"I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. No more," said the Spanish player, who plans legal action against Roselyne Bachelot.
Rafael Nadal stepped up his attack Sunday on those who have accused him of being a drugs cheat, threatening to sue the French ex-sports minister who claimed the Spanish tennis star failed a drug test.
Nadal said he is seeking "justice" and will have his day in court to silence critics like former French minister Roselyne Bachelot.
"I’m going to sue her, and I’m going to sue everyone who comments something similar in the future, because I am tired of that," Nadal said Sunday night at the Indian Wells hard court tournament.
Bachelot, who served as sports minister between 2007 and 2010, has said that Nadal faked an injury in 2012, when he missed the final six months of the season due to knee problems, in order to hide a positive drug test.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion first told AFP on Saturday night that he was going to seek "justice" and use the courts to put a stop to speculation he ever used performance-enhancing drugs.
"I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. No more," Nadal said, adding that he expected better of person who was "minister of a big country and a great country like France."
Nadal has never failed a drug test in his many years on the ATP Tour and has always vehemently denied ever using a banned substance.
Nadal said he had been reluctant to take people who accused him of using illegal drugs to court in the past, but has now changed his mind.
Nadal launched a scathing attack on French satire show Les Guinols de línfo in 2012 after an episode that depicted Spanish sports stars including the tennis player, basketball player Pau Gasol and Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas writing their support for cyclist Alberto Contador, who was facing a doping ban at the time, with syringes.