Nadal plans to sue over doping claims

Rafael Nadal plans to sue an ex-French government
minister who said his seven-month absence in 2012 was
"probably due to a positive doping test".
The Spaniard is upset with comments made by Roselyne
Bachelot, who was formerly Minister for Health and Sport.
The 14-time Grand Slam winner, 29, says he will sue
anyone else who alleges "something similar in the future".
Nadal says he is tired of the allegations and is no longer
prepared to let them pass unchallenged.
"A minister of France should be serious," he said. "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."
Bachelot, 69, served as Minister for Health and Sport from
2007 until 2010, under the government of former president
Nicolas Sarkozy.
She made the allegations about Nadal last week, when
addressing Maria Sharapova's failed drugs test.
"When you see a tennis player stopping for months, it's
because there's been a positive control," said the French
politician.
Nadal has already spoken out about the speculation
surrounding him.
Following Sharapova's admission last week of a failed test,
the former world number one said: "I am a completely
clean guy.
"I have never had the temptation of doing something
wrong."
Nadal has never failed a drugs test but has been the
subject of speculation that he dopes.
In 2011, former French Open champion Yannick Noah wrote
a newspaper article saying Spanish sporting success was
due to doping.
A year later, a satirical French TV show featured a life-size
likeness of Nadal filling up his car's gas tank from his own
bladder before being pulled over by traffic police for
speeding.
Then in 2013, Belgian former professional player
Christophe Rochus questioned Nadal being able to
dominate the 2012 French Open and then be injured two
weeks later at Wimbledon.