McEnroe used steroids, says former wife Tatum

John McEnroe has been accused by his ex-wife, the former actress Tatum O'Neal, of taking steroids to boost his tennis career.

O'Neal said McEnroe, who won 77 singles titles, including three Wimbledons and four US Opens, took the drug when making his tennis comeback in 1988, causing him to have violent moods.

McEnroe's career had a resurgence in the years after his return to competitive tennis, and he reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 1989 and 1992.

O'Neal, 38, was speaking on ABC television in America after publication of McEnroe's autobiography. She said she left him when he became verbally abusive and physically assaulted her. The drug-taking by McEnroe began "when he was coming back after Sean [their second son] was born". Asked whether officials were aware of this, she said: "I never read about it. I made him stop because he was becoming violent."

The couple's eight-year marriage ended in an acrim-onious divorce in which she lost custody of their three children. O'Neal, who won an Oscar in her debut film, Paper Moon, said on TV she left him after "he kicked me down the stairs". Losing the children and her own drug addiction were her biggest regrets, she said, but she was in drug rehabilitation, and had "been clean now for a few months".

McEnroe, 43, who is commentating on the Wimbledon Championships for the BBC, said he was "disappointed" by his former wife's remarks, but did not respond directly to the allegations. He is now married to the rock singer Patty Smyth.