BRITAIN: Three times former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe claimed yesterday accusations that he took performance enhancing drugs during a 15-year professional career are inaccurate.
The New York player, who still competes on the Seniors Tour, admitted recently to taking recreational drugs in his book You Cannot be Serious. But he said he was "disappointed" by the claims by his former wife, Tatum O'Neal, that he used steroids during his career on court and became violent as a result.
Ms O'Neal (38), who won an Oscar for her performance in the 1973 film Paper Moon, discussed her marital woes and her own battle with drug addiction in a segment of the ABC news programme 20/20.
It was there she made the claim that Mr McEnroe used steroids "when he was coming back after Sean (second son) was born" in 1988. When asked if tennis officials knew about it, Ms O'Neal said: "I never read about it. I made him stop because he was becoming violent."
Ms O'Neal added that her former husband's famous on-court temper often flared up at home as well and described him as abusive.
She said she ultimately left Mr McEnroe after "he kicked me down the stairs".
The governing body for men's tennis, the Association of Tennis Professionals, bars players from using steroids or any other performance enhancing drugs.
"I'm very disappointed in Tatum's statement," Mr McEnroe said in a press release issued by his manager, Mr Gary Swain.
"I had hoped that after all these years she would see things more accurately and she would share my concern for the welfare of our children."
Mr McEnroe, who works for the BBC as a commentator during the Wimbledon fortnight, won the competition in 1981, 1983 and 1984 and also won four US Open titles. He was married to Ms O'Neal for eight years up until 1994 and played in his last Wimbledon tournament in 1992, when aged 33 he reached the semi-final.
Mr McEnroe admitted attending anger management classes following his divorce from Ms O'Neal and has custody of the couple's three children. He also has three other children with current wife, rock singer Patti Smyth.
Mr Swain, in defending the player, said McEnroe would not be making any further statements on the subject.
"I've known John McEnroe for 20 years and he has never knowingly taken steroids," he said.
Random drug testing was introduced to men's tennis in the late 1980s as the sport prepared to be re-introduced to the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
The ATP governing body now conducts out of competition testing and also tests players at all Grand Slams, Davis Cup and men's circuit events.