Why is Rafa only threatening to sue over doping accusations now?

[Federberg]

I thought this would be an interesting thread...

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...ister-doping-claims-roselyne-bachelot-tennis?

I always wondered why Rafa let it pass in 2012, so why is he going to take action now? Please note, this is in no way an accusation against Rafa, I'm just trying to understand the thought process that leads him to want to take action now? Has Rafa's thinking been affected by Sharapova's loss of sponsors? Is he afraid that his inaction might hurt him? I really don't see how, we've moved on and it was 4 years ago. Thoughts?

Is it just because of recent comments, because I was under the impression that there were rumour's in 2012 as well

 

[Bert]

There are two things about Bachelot :
- she was Minister of Sports and Minister of Health. I won't discuss if she was good or not here, but her Cv may let think that she knows what she is talking about and/or she had access to some confidential reports/news/data, etc.
- she is now a regular host of a daily talk show on French TV that gives her an incredible media exposure.

I went through the French press and there is nothing in her declarations that details or justifies why she thinks that Nadal took something. No proof. But when she says something about Nadal, this is incredibly powerful because of her background and media exposure. This is what, in my opinion, is different from last time.

 

[Federberg]

So she's basically trying to use Rafa to promote her show. I hope he crushes her. Absolutely disgusting

 

[Bert]

I won't say that she wants to promote her show but she definitely likes to be in the light.

Since she left politics she made several controversial declarations. This is very strange because no ones really knows if she belongs to politics or entertainment, and she plays with that in my opinion.

Here a link to Guy Forget's reaction on Bachelot's comments

 

[Moxie]

He's rarely been named with specific allegations, therefore, it's harder to make a case. It's rather been loads of innuendo, and lots of it done anonymously on the internet. The one they threatened to sue but didn't, and in retrospect, I bet they wish they had, was a rather Rosetta Stone-ish article in a French publication that came out shortly after Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes was arrested. He was the Spanish doctor of cyclists (who were not all Spanish,) who was arrested for blood-doping his athletes. He claimed, upon his arrest, that there were tennis players and footballers on his list, too. Based on this statement, this French weekly published an article with the headline, to the effect of: Could Nadal and Barcelona be suspect? That was in 2006, around the time of Wimbledon, just after Rafa had won his 2nd FO. You can see it's a completely spurious claim: Spanish doctor, top Spanish tennis player and Spanish football team. Why not call out the obvious? Team Nadal threatened to sue, but they probably thought it would be more of a distraction than it was worth, at that point. Rafa was just 20, and they probably thought it would die they death it deserved, after a press conference. They had no way of knowing that that one article would catch fire on the then rather nascent internet and get picked up around the world, and get treated as a truth. One headline, with no by-line, and no backing truth. The internet, and the occasional washed-up player or now washed-up politician has been using it as a way of getting themselves in the news, but mostly without naming names. Just opportunistically making generalized slurs. That's hard to sue. However, Bachelot called him out by name. That's specific enough for a lawsuit, and, after being fed up with so much innuendo, I imagine that's why now. I wouldn't think that the timing has anything to do with Maria, but rather that it is a person who put Rafa's name specifically to an accusation. That you can build a lawsuit on.

 

[Federberg]

Thanks Moxie. I recall the headline. Not sure if I ever read the article. Was it one of those irritating headlines where the actual piece doesn't have much to do with the headline? It's an annoying tactic used by trashy editors in the UK to draw readers to puff pieces

 

[Denis]

Im not familiar with French defamation laws but since this could backfire massively (if they allow doping officials to be heard under oath for example), this is a step that indicates more that Rafa is clean than that he took anything. Interesting in any event!

 

[britbox]

Talking of Fuentes and the blood bags...

The Spanish courts have until the end of the month to either overturn the bizarre original decision from Judge Santamaria that the evidence be destroyed OR uphold it.

Deadline set for ruling on fate of Operacion Puerto blood-bags

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/...puerto-blood-bags-ruling-expected-this-month/

Various anti-drug agencies from around the globe have lodged appeals...

Blood samples in a Barcelona freezer could spark biggest ever doping scandal as Operation Puerto resurfaces

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...g-scandal-as-Operation-Puerto-resurfaces.html

 

[isabelle]

Mrs Bachelot is absolutely unbearable, I'm ashamed to be French when I hear what she says

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I am also half French I am also ashamed of my half heritage after these accusations of Ms Bachelot.
I totally agree with Rafa,'Enough is Enough'................

 

[isabelle]

I am also half French I am also ashamed of my half heritage after these accusations of Ms Bachelot.
I totally agree with Rafa,'Enough is Enough'................

So who's French ? your dad ou mom ??? like you I support Nadal, all those awful accusations must stop. Either you've got proof and you say it either you haven't and you shup up.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

So who's French ? your dad ou mom ??? like you I support Nadal, all those awful accusations must stop. Either you've got proof and you say it either you haven't and you shup up.

My mother is French.Agree these are serious allegations with no proof at all.

 

[Denis]

My mother is French.Agree these are serious allegations with no proof at all.

Probably not, considering Nadal is suing her. He kind of had to really. A former minister of Sport of the country where you won 9 slams might have the inside knowledge to bring down your credibility.

As I said, I think that the fact that Nadal is suing her, demonstrates that there is no evidence. I don't think he is a risk taker in this sense, his lawyers must have warned him of any potential risks of such a case.

 

[isabelle]

According to l'Equipe, Tsonga is supporting Nadal too, he said Mrs Bachelot shouldn't accuse without any proof

 

[Moxie]

So he is suing:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/25/tennis/tennis-nadal-sues-bachelot-former-french-health-minister/

 

[Moxie]

And he's asking the ITF to release all of his test results, whose spokesman says he's never failed a drug test:

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2016...-test-results-made-public/58238/#.Vx-012ORGFJ

 

[Ricardo]

Armstrong also never failed a test in his heyday, believe what you will...... and be naive all you want.

If anyone thinks ITF would ever kill itself in the name of fair sport, he/she is just an idiot. Too much money, and too much stake on the table to be completely 'honest'.

Besides, we are just fans. Money talks, and they want it from our pocket. would you expose your top player if you stand to lose billions?

Exactly.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Science will always be ahead. Not failing a test doesn't mean someone has never doped, but should Nadal's test results be made public, it would at least put the "silent ban" theories to bed.

 

[DarthFed]

Nadal's asking for something he knows will never happen (all the results over 10 years are not suddenly going to be released to the public). And if Rafa or any other top guy failed a test and they were going to cover it up I doubt the information on it would still be readily available. I remember a few years ago when Rafa "pleaded" that the names of Fuentes' clients be released to the general public. I think Moxie and other Nadal fans saw that as "evidence" he was not involved when everyone knows the names weren't going to suddenly be released due to Nadal asking for them.

I read one of the articles quoting someone in the ITF saying that it is announced to the public anytime someone fails a test. Either that's a very new policy or he conveniently forgot the Cilic episode where the Croatian media was the first to break the story months after it happened.

 

[Moxie]

I thought of what you mention, but I think, if I understand correctly, that the ITF has said that they make it public when they've rendered a judgement, not when the test is positive. Meanwhile, the player gets a temporary suspension, but its not made public. I think Cilic failed a test around RG, and it came out around Wimbledon, so not really that long, and yes, outed by the Croatian press. Maria came out in the press with her own failed test to get ahead of the information. She's still awaiting a judgement, so presumably that would also have been kept secret until they make a judgement. I'm not saying I agree with this, but it's my understanding of how it works. It's part of the ITF's transparency problem.

Now, I'm not sure why you don't think the ITF will release 10 years of tests. They must have them. And it seems to be implied that he has rights to them, so I don't know why they wouldn't do it, particularly as there will be a court case involved. They could subpoena the test results.

I get why Broken says that the science will always be ahead of the banning of substances. But if and when the results are released, there could be substances that are allowed now, but will be banned in the future, so it's still a gamble, if he's taking even legal enhancers.