(Reuters) – Rafa Nadal has hit out at what he called a “general campaign” in France to discredit Spanish athletes by implying their success is due to the use of illegal drugs.
Speaking to reporters a day after the Spanish tennis federation (RFET) said it would sue French TV broadcaster Canal+ for “unacceptable and damaging insinuations” in a cartoon about Nadal, the world number two said he found the attacks “sad.”
“It’s the kind of humor that for one day is fine but if it is repeated over and over again it’s not right and I think it oversteps the line a bit,” Nadal said at a training session in his home town of Manacor on the island of Mallorca on Thursday.
“I don’t think it’s just one media, it’s a general campaign by the neighboring country,” the six-times French Open champion added.
Full story: Nadal slams French doping “campaign” to discredit Spain