Rumours around Rafa

Rafael Nadal denies new doping allegations by ex-France sports secretary 

Facing new accusations that he sat out portions of 2012 because he feared testing positive for a banned substance, Rafael Nadal again denied he has ever used performance enhancers to speed his recovery from injury.

"You know what? I heard [about the accusations] a few times again," the 14-time Grand Slam champion told reporters Wednesday night after being asked for his reaction to Maria Sharapova's failed drug test. "I am a completely clean guy. I have never had the temptation of doing something wrong. When I get injury, I get injury. I never take nothing to be back quicker."

On Tuesday, Roselyne Bachelot, the former French secretary of sport, accused Nadal of doping in 2012, echoing accusations made by former French Open champion Yannick Noah in 2011 and by former Belgian pro Christophe Rochus in 2013.

"We know that Nadal's famous seven-month injury was without a doubt due to a positive [drug test]," Bachelot told French TV show "Le Grand 8" on Tuesday morning. "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 never failed a drug test. He has used new therapies for his knee problems, including stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma therapy.

"It is an example for the kids, and if I am doing something that goes against that, I will be lying to myself, not lying to my opponents," Nadal said Wednesday. "I believe in the sport and the values of the sport."

Nadal's uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, told RAC 1 radio show, "Rafael's lawyer is already working to potentially take legal action against [Bachelot]. In this world, instead of proving one's guilt, a person must prove their innocence.

"I am no longer surprised by what people say, but comments like these from a former sports leader are incredible to me."

In 2011, Noah wrote a column in Le Monde newspaper saying that French athletes no longer had a chance against their Spanish opponents because they "don't have the magic potion." French television also featured several satirical moments, and in 2013, Rochus questioned how Nadal could dominate the 2012 French Open and then be injured two weeks later at Wimbledon.

"I have been open all my career," Nadal told reporters at Indian Wells. "I never tried to hide nothing that I did. I did PRP, and then I did stem cells.

"The first time with PRP, it worked fantastic, and the second time it was bad. I had to stop playing tennis for seven months. With stem cells, I used it two times on my knees and it worked very well. I am not doing, never did and never going to do something wrong."

The 29-year-old added that he has faith in his doctor, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro.

"He has been the doctor for all the Spanish players for a number of years," Nadal said. "I would never take nothing that he doesn't know about."

Spanish sports minister Miguel Cardenal blasted Bachelot, who held her position from 2007 to 2010 under the administration of Nicolas Sarkozy, telling Spanish news agency EFE that her comments were "surprisingly frivolous."

"[Bachelot] has not held this position [minister of sport] for many years, and I am sure she has forgotten everything that she has ever known," Cardenal said. "I am convinced that she will realise the huge mistake she has made and the unacceptable injustice and she will apologise. About the rest, it is best not to pay too much attention. The lie is so ridiculous that it is easy to rule out without much effort."

Source: ESPN.go 

Source: YouTube (dar es salaam)  Key words: Antena3 Nadal guiñol


Source: YouTube (Les Guignols)   Key words: Les Guignols Nadal

Comments

Unknown said…
I don't know if this information is true, but I belive if you are a sport leader politician and you know something wrong about somebody the correct place to report is on court not on T.V.
Graham said…
Hi Silvia,

I see in today's news that Nadal is going to sue the French minister.

I don't know if this information is true, but I believe that if you are a sports minister and you know somebody has done something wrong, the correct place to report it is , not on T.V.
José said…
Hi Graham,

Did you watch on TV the match between France and Spain, last Eurbasket in France? It was memorable, unforgettable and indescribable. How the Spanish played! What team! What match! France is very good in basket, but Spain hardly always beats to France and another time the winner was Spain as well. Spain beat to France in the own venue of the team French, with his own spectators and in front of his own media. Poor French! I felt pity of the French. Great Spain! I consider myself very lucky to call Spain my home, like you with Scotland.

Montse, do you think that this paragraph is cryctic? That goes without saying.

See you.
Graham said…
Hi José,

I am sorry to say that I missed that match - even if Spain was playing.

Have the Spanish basketball team got a nickname like the football team?

If I watch Spain play football, I turn down the volume. I can't stand the commentators - they don't give a fair description of what is happening.



Did you watch the match between France and Spain on TV, in the final of the Eurobasketball in France? It was memorable, unforgettable and indescribable / it left me speechless. How the Spanish played! What a team! What a match! France is very good at basketball, but Spain hardly ever beats France; only one other time was Spain the winner. Spain beat France away / Spain beat France in their homeground, with her/its own spectators/supporters and in front of her/its own media. The poor French! I felt pity/sorry for the French. Great Spain! I consider myself very lucky to call Spain my home, like you with Scotland.

Montse, do you think that this paragraph is crpctic? That goes without saying.


A venue is a place where an event (wedding, congress, disco, basketball match etc is held. It's a French word so you should refuse to use it, they need to be taught a lesson for making fun of the Spanish.


I prefer the French to prison wardens. My prison warden is back with a vengeance.
Montse said…
Hi all!!

For many years of the past century Spain was considered like a "ugly duckling" by the rest of Europe. Franco made it possible. Graham, do you know what that man thought about the women and the exercise? He said that women didn't need to go to the gym because they (we) did enough exercise doing things at home!!
Freedom allowed the Spanish people to make up for lost time and take up our place in the world. Mrs. Bachelot is a dirty-minded woman and the French, in general, can't put up with Miguel Indurain won the Tour of France five times in a row and Rafa Nadal won nine times Roland Garros...two Spaniards!!

There are cheat people all around the word and we've got some...shame on them!!They'll have to pay for cheating but we'll have to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's, won't we?

José, I think that your post was crystal clear, this time.

Graham, I look forward to hearing about your latest trip!! Tell us, please.

Kisses
Montse said…
Hi again!!

I forgot to tell you that, in a certain way, I travelled to the Highlands last Easter...:-)
I watched the first season of the series "Outlander" which takes place in Scotland, near Inverness, in 1743.
I recommend to watch it since it has a very good atmosphere and, Graham, you have the opportunity to listen to Gaelic if you miss it. :-))

See you soon.
José said…
Hi Graham,

I know you prefer to see mulatto women on the Copacabana beach than to see your “darling” prison warden at the England Airport. You should do a spot about your visit to Río of Janeiro. I remind you that this post should contain a lot of views of the beaches, the hotel, mountains, monuments and so on. Have you ever been to Río before? Do you like Brazil? Is it a sad country or a happy country?

See you.
Graham said…
Hi Montse,

I had heard of the series - it is seemingly quite popular. I did start watching the first episode but I never really got into it. I should give it another try.

I don't miss Gaelic. You don't hear it that much on the streets of Inverness. For me, it's not a beautiful language and if you think English is difficult to learn...


I recommend watching it ...
Graham said…
Hi Montse,

For much of the past century, Spain was considered to be an "ugly duckling" by the rest of Europe. It was all because of Franco.

Graham, do you know what that man thought about women and exercise? He said that women didn't need to go to the gym because they (we) did enough exercise doing things at home!! (He kind of had a point, didn't he?? haha)

Freedom allowed the Spanish to make up for lost time and take (up) our place in the world. Mrs. Bachelot is unfair / a (dirty-minded has a sexual connotation) woman and the French, in general, can't put up with Miguel Indurain winning / having won the Tour of France five times in a row and Rafa Nadal winning / having won Roland Garros nine times...two Spaniards!!

There are cheats all around the word and we've got some...shame on them!!They'll have to pay for cheating but we'll have to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's, won't we? (You'll have to explain that one to me I'm afraid haha - though I can guess what you mean)


I might write a post about my Brazilian adventure. Let's see.

Graham said…
Hi José,

Unfortunately, there is more than one prison warden in this life. The women in Rio have beautiful, warm and natural smiles unlike prison wardens.


I know you prefer seeing mulatto (not sure but this may be offensive - I think you are safer with mixed-race) women on Copacabana beach than seeing your “darling” prison warden at the airport in England.

You should do a spot (an advertisement or was that a typo - did you mean "a post"?) about your visit to Río of Janeiro. I remind you that this post should contain a lot of views of the beaches, the hotel, mountains, monuments and so on. Had you been to Río before? Do you like Brazil? Is it a sad country or a happy country?


No promises!
José said…
Hi everyone,

Great Montse.

What would happen if the Spanish despising French things? Spain would leave from the European Union.

I hope Graham that you only turning down the volume, when you watch the football Spanish team, but you continue watching the match.

On the other hand, I’m afraid because of you told me that mulatto Word may be offensive. I saw in the dictionary wordreference.com (WR Reverse) that “Las mulatas suelen ser mujeres guapas y exuberantes”. I say in Spanish to clear up that there wasn’t any offense, on the contrary, I thought that I was talking well. I hope that calling beautiful to women isn’t machismo. Anyway, thank you very much Graham.

See you.
Graham said…
Hi José,

I can't believe that you are joining in all this French bashing that you find in the media here.

I think if the Spanish are so touchy, they must have something to hide. If the accusations are unfounded, the best way to deal with them is to ignore them.



What would happen if the Spanish despised French things? Spain would leave the European Union.

I hope Graham that you only turn down the volume when you watch the Spanish football team but you continue watching the match.

On the other hand, I’m afraid because you told me that the word "mulatto" may be offensive. I saw in the dictionary wordreference.com (WR Reverse) that “Las mulatas suelen ser mujeres guapas y exuberantes”. I say in Spanish to clear up that there wasn’t any offense, on the contrary, I thought that I was talking well. I hope that calling women beautiful isn’t machismo.