A French court on Thursday ordered a former sports minister to pay 10,000 euros ($A15,500) in compensation to Rafael Nadal after accusing him of using illegal substances.
Nadal, who had filed a defamation case against former French health and sports minister Roselyne Bachelot in April 2016, had said at the time that any damages he won would go to charity.
The court sided with Nadal against Bachelot, who charged on French television that Nadal's 2012 knee injury absence from the ATP was an attempt to hide a positive anti-doping test.
Amid the furore, Bachelot later walked back her remarks, saying: "I merely reflected comments widely held in tennis and the press."
Nadal was pleased to have upheld his reputation in court.
"I want to express my maximum confidence in the French [judicial] system," he said after the verdict was announced.
"When I presented the claim, I pretended not only to defend my integrity and image as an athlete but also the values that I have defended throughout my career.
"(I wanted to) avoid future circumstances in which any public or private person can make insulting accusations against an athlete, without grounds or (facts).
"My motivation was never economic."
Nadal re-emphasised that he will donate his damages to charity.
"The entire amount of the sentence will go to social work in France," he said. "The only thing I regret is that it was not greater to reach a greater number of organisations that serve people with some type of need."
