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Rafael Nadal files defamation lawsuit against former French minister for doping claims

"I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. Not any more," Nadal said of his lawsuit.

By Doug G. Ware
Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a forehand to Borna Coric of Croatia in their first round match in Arthur Ashe Stadium on day one at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, August 31, 2015. Monday, Nadal said he had filed a defamation lawsuit against former French Minister of Health and Sport Roselyne Bachelot, who said in a TV interview last month that Nadal's seven-month absence from the sport in 2012 was "probably" due to a positive drug test. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a forehand to Borna Coric of Croatia in their first round match in Arthur Ashe Stadium on day one at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, August 31, 2015. Monday, Nadal said he had filed a defamation lawsuit against former French Minister of Health and Sport Roselyne Bachelot, who said in a TV interview last month that Nadal's seven-month absence from the sport in 2012 was "probably" due to a positive drug test. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

PARIS, April 25 (UPI) -- Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal on Monday filed a defamation lawsuit against a former French minister of health and sport, claiming she accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs without proper cause.

The Spaniard had previously stated his intention to sue Roselyne Bachelot for remarks she made last month about Nadal's seven-month absence from his sport in 2012.

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Nadal, 29, said at the time he was battling tendinitis as well as a viral illness. Bachelot, however, speculated during a television interview recently that his temporary hiatus was "probably due to a positive doping test."

Nadal has never been suspended from tennis due to a positive drug test.

"I intend to defend my integrity and my image as an athlete but also the values I have defended all my career," the athlete said in a statement Monday. "I wish to avoid any public figure from making insulting or false allegations against an athlete using the media, without any evidence."

"I am tired about these things," the 14-time Grand Slam title winner added in filing the suit. "I let it go a few times in the past. Not any more."

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Bachelot, 69, served as the minister of health and sport in President Nicolas Sarkozy's administration between 2007 and 2010.

"We know that Nadal's famous seven-month injury was without a doubt due to a positive [drug test]," she said during the interview/ "When you see a tennis player who stops playing for long months, it is because he has tested positive and because they are covering it up. It is not something that always happens, but, yes, it happens more than you think."

Nadal has indicated that if he wins the suit, he will donate the proceeds to charity.

Nadal, currently the fifth-ranked men's player in the world, is preparing for next month's French Open, where he is a nine-time champion. He is one of the most successful tennis players in history, having won a title at each Grand Slam event. He hasn't won a major title, however, since the 2014 French Open.

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