Mark Petchey, the former head of men's tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), has claimed that the sport is need of a radical overhaul following Britain's defeat to Ukraine in the Davis Cup.

In a column for The Times newspaper, Petchey argued that the LTA in its current form should be replaced by a smaller group including Tim Henman and David Lloyd to ensure that funding resources are allocated in a more effective way. Petchey told the newspaper: "Not all the services and departments can be disbanded, but the cost saving would be immense and would allow substantial investment in grassroots tennis."

In addition to the restructuring of the sport's administration in Britain, Petchey called for more money to be spent on coach education in a bid to raise standards at club and school level, while also proposing a dedicated tournament and training facility in every county to develop talent capable of competing at elite level. The LTA declined to comment on the matter.