Nadal calls for more transparency in tennis

Sport360 staff 00:38 02/05/2016
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  • Nadal has been accused of covering up a failed drugs test.

    Rafael Nadal believes his call for all his anti-doping tests throughout his career to be released to the public is the only way to end the scourge of doping accusations in tennis.

    The 14-time grand slam champion filed a lawsuit against former French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot on Monday after she accused him of covering up a failed drugs test.

    The Spaniard then requested that the International Tennis Federation (ITF) release the results of his anti-doping tests throughout his career and in the future.

    “My philosophy is easy to understand. I believe in my sport, that is the most important thing, I believe my rivals are clean, our sport is clean and I believe in our anti-doping programme and it is independent one,” Nadal told reporters at the Madrid Open, where he opens his campaign on Tuesday against Andrey Kuznetsov or Viktor Troicki.

    “The sport should be clean and must look clean. In my opinion it is much better for the transparency of the sport in general to say Rafa Nadal is doing an anti-doping control today, the result will be in two weeks and in two weeks you publish the results, the anti-doping control is negative.

    “That will be much easier for everybody, it should be much easier for the world of sport and for sure will be easier for you guys (the media).

    “You don’t have to think, you just have to read and for the people at the same time too. They don’t have to create opinions, they have the proof.”

    Asked whether the ITF has responded to his request of making his tests public, Nadal said: “Yes, but I am in the process, so I cannot talk much about that now.”

    The nine-time French Open champion insisted his pursuit of Bachelot is about protecting his image and pledged that any compensation from the suit would be donated to a French charity.

    “I have full confidence in the French justice,” added Nadal.

    “I feel happy that I don’t need money. It’s something about image, it’s something that the people is not free to say any stupid thing in any time what they think in any moment without knowledge about the things.

    “If at the end of the day, as I said in my communication, I take some money from that it will be to a French foundation.”

    Andy Murray echoed Nadal’s thoughts on the need for more transparency in the sport. The Scot said in the Spanish capital on Sunday: “I think it was a good decision for him. I know they’ve spoken about doing it in other sports as well. Yeah, I’m certainly not against that. I think it’s a good thing. I think the more transparency the better.”

    Murray commences his title defence at the Caja Magica on Tuesday against Vasek Pospisil or a qualifier.

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