Rafael Nadal has successfully sued Roselyne Bachelot, France’s former Minister for Health and Sport, who alleged that the Spaniard took time off in 2012 because he had tested positive for a banned substance.
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Bachelot was found guilty of defamation and ordered to pay €10,000, which will be donated to a French charity by Nadal’s camp.
Nadal’s case against Bachelot was originally filed in April of 2016, about a month after Bachelot made her statement on French television. She was discussing the case of Maria Sharapova, who had recently tested positive for meldonium, at the time she attacked Nadal.
At the time, Bachelot thought very little of Nadal’s threat to sue. According to the Telegraph, she told the French publication Ouest-France that “Newspapers such as Le Monde and L'Équipe and managers like Yannick Noah have accused him of doping. There are players who've reported that this practice is commonly used … I don’t remember those statements causing such an emotional response.”
The World No.1 expressed pleasure in the decision and reiterated his purpose in originating legal action against Bachelot, saying that he sought to prevent slander against not just himself, but against all athletes.
“I would like to reiterate my respect for the legal procedure and French tribunals. We have been made aware of the decision by which Mrs Bachelot has been found guilty of defamation,” Nadal said in a statement.
“When I filed the lawsuit against Mrs Bachelot, I intended 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 stop any public figure from making insulting or false allegations against an athlete using the media, without any evidence or foundation, and to go unpunished.
“The motivation, as I have always said, was not financial. As the tribunal considered there has been wrongdoing and the sentence recognises the right to damages. The compensation will be paid back in full to an non-governmental organisation or foundation in France.”