It’s been a shocking 12 months for sport and drugs.

In November, the world was rocked by revelations of Russia’s state-sponsored doping that sabotaged the 2012 London Olympics.

Maria Sharapova’s meldonium admission erupted in March and reports of widespread use of the drug – and an avalanche of positive tests – soon followed.

• Rafael Nadal follows through on sue threat
• The technicality that might just save Maria Sharapova’s career
• Andy Murray’s shocking suspicion about the tennis tour

Then there was the British doctor who claimed to have given 150 sports stars, including English Premier League players, performance-enhancing drugs, while closer to home, the Essendon saga has rumbled on.

An unfortunate by-product of the drugs mess sport finds itself in during the 21st century is fans constantly questioning performances from athletes, particularly those who have shown sudden improvement.

Other athletes are tarnished by innuendo and gossip, such as two-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome, who had urine thrown in his face on last year’s race and was called a ‘doper’.

Tennis ace Rafael Nadal is another who has been accused of doping despite never testing positive to drugs.

His bid to sue ex-French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot begun on Monday after she suggested a seven-month break he took from playing in 2012 was due to a positive drug test.

Nadal could be about to change the way drug tests are handled, though, after he penned an open letter to the International Tennis Federation in the latest attempt to clear his name.

“It is necessary that our sport becomes a flagship in a world where transparency and honesty are two pillars of our conduct and way of living,” the letter read.

“I believe the time has arrived and our sport and our governing bodies need to step up in communicating well to the world.

“I know how many times I am tested, on and off competition.

“Please make all my information public. Please make public my biological passport, my complete history of anti-doping controls and tests.

“From now on I ask you to communicate when I am tested and the results as soon as they are ready from your labs.

“I also encourage you to start filing lawsuits if there is any misinformation spread by anyone.

“It can’t be free anymore in our tennis world to speak and to accuse without evidence.”

‘Mr Nadal has never failed a test’

The ITF responded, publicly, to Nadal’s request and invited the tennis player to display his records.

They also said the 14-time grand slam winner had never recorded a positive drug test.

“The ITF has received a letter from Rafael Nadal that includes a request to release his personal test results under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP),” a statement read.

“The ITF can confirm that Mr Nadal has never failed a test under the TADP and has not been suspended at any time for an anti-doping rule violation (or for any other reason related to the TADP).

“Mr Nadal, as all other players who are subject to the TADP, has access to his anti-doping records through WADA’s ADAMS (the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System) database and is free to make them available.

“The accuracy of any such release would be verified by the ITF.”

Whether Nadal releases his testing records remains to be seen, but if he proceeds, it could set the template for others accused of doping.

And it might eventually change the way sport deals with its many issues on drugs.