The Spanish world No5 had said he would be taking legal action against Bachelot after she alleged that Nadal’s lengthy injury-forced absence in 2012 was due to him failing a doping test.
The 14-time grand slam champion took action yesterday by filing a suit in the Paris courts of law and released a statement that read: “I hereby make public the defamation lawsuit against Mrs. Roselyne Bachelot, that I have filed today April 25th 2016 before the Paris law courts.
“This legal proceeding was instigated after Mrs. Bachelot made offensive remarks last March on Le Grand 8, program of French channel D8.
“The lawyer in charge of the case is Maître Patrick Maisonneuve, lawyer at the Paris bar.
“Through this case, I intend 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 avoid any public figure from making insulting or false allegations against an athlete using the media, without any evidence or foundation and to go unpunished.
“Should the tribunal consider there has been a wrong-doing and the sentence recognises the right to damages, any compensation will be paid back in full to an NGO or foundation in France.
“On the other hand, I ask for total respect regarding the legal procedure that just started and would like to express my complete trust in the French justice system who will be judging the legal case.”
