The eight times grand slam winner Agassi lied in 1997 to men's governing body to escape a ban. Though, ATP stayed away from the matter by issuing a bland statement on their doping policy, the ITF's Ricci Bitti launched a strong defence of the governing body's tough stand against drugs on Wednesday.
"The ITF is surprised and disappointed by the remarks made by Andre Agassi in his biography admitting substance abuse in 1997," he said in a statement.
"Such comments in no way reflect the fact that the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme is currently regarded as one of the most rigorous and comprehensive anti-doping programmes in sport.
"The events in question occurred before the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was founded in 1999 and during the formative years of anti-doping in tennis when the programme was managed by individual governing bodies."
Published 28 October 2009, 17:34 IST