McEnroe blasts ATP

Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe believes tennis must undergo “serious changes” following Greg Rusedski’s successful appeal against his positive drugs test.

British number two Rusedski tested positive for nandrolone in the summer of 2003, but was cleared at an independent tribunal in March.

The ATP were heavily criticised during the tribunal and McEnroe is adamant the sport needs to act quickly to restore its credibility.

“As a result of Greg’s case the sport has come out even worse than before,” he told the BBC’s Sunday Grandstand programme.

“It’s as if the three stooges or Laurel and Hardy are running the ATP – if it wasn’t so serious it would be funny. I don’t want to be costing people their jobs but enough is enough.

“Let’s make some serious changes here and do something. This is a great sport in dispute with itself. Wimbledon and the Opens do well but what about the rest of tennis?

“The Davis Cup has been off the radar screen for a number of years, and no-one seems to know what to do with the Olympic Games.

“They have lost their main sponsor and then the steroid issue crops up – you couldn’t write a better script.”