Accusing Rafael Nadal Of Doping Is 'Total Ignorance,' Says Former World No. 3 Star

Rafael Nadal’s fellow Spanish tennis star David Ferrer has hit back at those who have accused the 21-time Grand Slam champion of doping.

Nadal went into Roland Garros with a chronic foot injury that had forced him to withdraw from ATP 1000 Italian Open a few days ago. However, he managed to play through the tournament, thanks to a series of anesthetizing injections that he said put his foot ‘to sleep.’

The 36-year-old Spanish star went on to win the French Open, marking his 14th trophy at the clay-court major event and extending his Grand Slam tally to 22.

Nadal received criticisms from some road cyclists such as Guillaume Martin, who said, "If a cyclist did the same thing, even if it wasn’t forbidden, everyone would be calling him doped."

Ferrer, who won three David Cup titles for Spain with Nadal, has angrily reacted to the accusations that have been directed at the tennis legend.

"That is total ignorance because, in the end, they pass the same ADAMS controls as anyone, it is the same control. Playing [under anesthesia] does not mean that you are doped or doing something illegal, it is simply an infiltration to be able to endure the pain at some point, which cyclists, tennis players, athletes, and any type of sportsperson can do, because it is the same organization of all the sports," Ferrer told Super Deporte, according to Tennishead.

Earlier, even the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Olivier Niggli had released a statement, in which he made it clear that Nadal did not use any substance from the prohibited list.

"Sometimes it amazes me that athletes without real knowledge can speak so freely," Ferrer added further in the same interview.

Former World No. 3 Ferrer, who retired from professional tennis in 2018, has also tried his hand at coaching. He briefly coached World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, along with his father, two years ago.

Nadal has already won four titles this year, including the Australian and French Open. The Spain national has suffered only three losses in the underway season. At the Wimbledon Championships, Nadal was forced to withdraw due to an abdominal issue. As a result, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios got a walkover into the final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.