"They're just butchering this beyond belief" - John McEnroe vents on Davis Cup's loss of significance over time

Although the annual Davis Cup still generates interest from tennis fans, American tennis great John McEnroe believes the event has lost some prestige over time.

McEnroe was a member of Team USA's Davis Cup winning squad in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1992. Subsequently, the former World No.1 would go on to captain the team. However, he would resign after 18 months due to the event's new format and scheduling.

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The Davis Cup organizers are partly to blame, says McEnroe

In a recent appearance on the Served with Andy Roddick Podcast, McEnroe made his feelings known on why he believes the international event is now a shadow of what it once was may years ago.

"When I was a kid, I asked my parents what do they want from me in the sport of tennis and it was to get a college scholarship and to play Davis Cup," began McEnroe. "In my days growing up, there was no tennis at the Olympics. There was not nearly as many team events. It wasn't until 1988 the Olympics tennis came back. I like to be part of a team. I played other sports, I thought that was awesome. To put that USA on your back as well. It's one of the greatest feelings that I ever had as a tennis player.

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"Andy was one of my practice players in my second round as a captain and he was, what? 16, 17? So it meant a lot to me, Davis Cup. Needless to say, I was fortunate enough to be part of five Davis Cup teams and won. I'm going to ask you a question. How many people do you think come up to me and ask me how many Davis Cups I've won in the last 20 years? You know how many? None.
"Not one person has come up to me about my Davis Cup experience. So that to me is seriously sad. So that opened the door because obviously, they're just butchering this beyond belief, the tennis authorities. They're unwilling to make changes that had to be made. Listen, I lost a bunch of matches going to other countries, Argentina and these other places, but it was also a new experience there and what it meant for those countries."