A claim that Rafael Nadal failed a 2012 drug test will be put before the French courts after the 29-year-old started legal action.

The 14-time grand slam champion threatened to sue French politician Roselyne Bachelot in March, when, in the fallout to Maria Sharapova’s positive test for meldonium, she accused him of doping.

Ms Bachelot said on French TV program Le Grand 8: “We know that Nadal’s famous seven-month injury [in 2012] was because he tested positive.

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“If a player takes a significant time out from the sport, it’s because he tested positive and the whole thing was covered up.”

Nadal reacted to the comments angrily. It appeared that after similar claims in the past, this was the one that pushed him over the edge.

“There is a couple of times I heard comments like this, and that’s what — this gonna be the last one, because I gonna sue her. I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. Not more, you know,” he said during a press conference in the US in March.

The 29-year-old issued a statement through his agent on Tuesday confirming he had instigated legal proceedings against Ms Bachelot in response to her “offensive remarks”.

“Through this case, I intend not only to defend my integrity and my image as an athlete but also the values I have defended all my career.

“I also wish to avoid any figure making insulting or false allegations against an athlete using the media, without any evidence or foundation and to go unpunished.”

Nadal added that he would be donating any compensation that he won.

“Should the tribunal consider there has been a wrongdoing and the sentence recognises the right to damages, any compensation will be paid back in full to an NGO or foundation in France,” he said in the statement.

“On the other hand, I ask for total respect regarding the legal procedure just started and would like to express my complete trust in the French justice system who will be judging the legal case.

“I will not be making any further statement about the case.”

Nadal’s outburst was more bad publicity for tennis, still reeling from the revelation that the highest-paid female in world sport had failed a drug test.

Ms Bachelot ‘flattered’ by Nadal’s response

In March, after Nadal’s initial reaction and threat to sue, Ms Bachelot backed up her comments, saying she was “simply spreading the word about comments made in the world of tennis and the press”.

She said she was far from the first person to question Nadal for doping.

“Newspapers such as Le Monde and L’Equipe and managers like Yannick Noah have accused him of doping,” she added.

“There are players who’ve reported that this practice is commonly used, and the tennis player Daniel Kollerer said: ‘It’s impossible that Nadal and Ferrer haven’t been doping’.

“I don’t remember those statements causing such an emotional response.

“It’s been proven that time off or long career breaks that are justified by health reasons have been used to positive anti-doping tests, with agreements in place between players, entourages and tennis authorities.”

Former professional Christopher Rochus has also accused Nadal of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Curtin University media law expert Dr Joseph Fernandez said Nadal’s swift action in this case suggests a victory in court.

“You can only guess and speculate, quite safely, that he [Nadal] is quite confident,” Dr Fernandez previously told The New Daily.

“Someone merely choosing not to play for a while or to go into a hiatus for a while is, in my view, not a sufficient basis to accuse that person of doping.”