The sport has been rocked by doping scandals involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek over the past year and the American legend supports the idea that somebody should be tasked with speaking on behalf of the players to increase transparency in such situations.

McEnroe even declared that he is "ready, willing and able" to take the job.

He told reporters: "If I wasn't the commissioner, there should still be a commissioner.

"It doesn't look like it's ever going to happen because people are too busy, these tournaments protect their own interests. They care about themselves, they don't care enough about the sport.

"So it's too bad. But nonetheless, if it's not me, it should be someone else.

"We'll see if it happens in the next 10 years."

However, McEnroe doesn't feel that Sinner and Swiatek's doping scandals have damaged the reputation of tennis as the issue "is way worse" in other sports.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion said: "I don't think it has done any damage because if you look, it's way worse in the other sports.

"In my opinion tennis is cleaner than any other sport. Now that doesn't mean there are not issues."

The big story ahead of the Australian Open is Andy Murray coaching his former rival Novak Djokovic but McEnroe is uncertain whether the arrangement will be long-term.

He said: "If Djokovic wins Australia, then (it) would be like, 'Wow, this is incredible'.

"I'm sure he'd be flooded with coaching requests, or maybe they'd stick with it for the rest of the year.

"And if it doesn't work out and say Djokovic loses in the quarters or semis, and then they decide not to continue, would Murray want to coach someone else? That would be the questions I would have."