Greg Rusedski today stunned British tennis officials with an unexpected and uncharacteristic tongue-lashing of tennis chiefs - before issuing a hasty retraction.

The British No 2 called for a massive shake-up at the LTA, the sport’s governing body in Britain, and even suggested that the cash mountain amassed by Wimbledon should go to other athletes rather than undeserving tennis players.

And while he stopped short of calling for John Crowther, the LTA chief executive, to step down he insisted that blood-letting at the top was the only way forward. It was an attack which angered and embarrassed British team officials and even saw the manager Roger Taylor make a series of long-distance phone calls in a bid to limit the fall-out.

However, within hours of the press conference, Rusedski issued a statement saying he had "made a mistake" in raising the issue during the Olympic Games, saying: "I would like start off by saying I made a mistake. I should never have brought up such a discussion during this time."

"The Olympics are a wonderful event and occasion. During this time myself and all of the other tennis players in the GB team need to concentrate and focus for this once in a lifetime opportunity. I apologise to anyone of my team-mates who I might have distracted or brought unnecessary attention to," he added.

As preparation for the British Olympic challenge, the outburst could not have been more disruptive, especially as some of Rusedski’s comments could be taken as a slight on team-mates such as the unheralded doubles partners Barry Cowan and Kyle Spencer.

"The money other athletes have is nothing compared to the money our Federation has at the LTA," said Rusedski. "I’m thinking if they’re getting to the Olympics and achieving things why can’t we do the same in tennis with all the finance. It doesn’t make sense. You’d rather almost see the finance going to the athletes who are doing the stuff."

Rusedski called for the millions raised by Wimbledon each year to be pumped into searching for players at the grass roots of the game. And he suggested the LTA should fork out the huge cash it would take to secure the services of top coaches such as Bob Brett, former mentor of Boris Becker and John Lloyd among others, and his own former coach, Sven Groeneveld.

"With the finance we have we could go out and search more in the minorities and for people in the council estates," said Rusedski. "We could have more higher-rated coaches like Bob Brett and Sven Groeneveld and put them in the Federation and get things done and put people in the Olympics with chances because the future is not looking so wonderful at the moment."

Rusedski’s outburst, which came after he had practised in Olympic Park today for his first-round match with the Frenchman Arnaud Clement tomorrow, then turned to the men at the top of the LTA who were heavily criticised after Britain’s humiliating Davis Cup defeat against Ecuador in July.

That embarrassment saw Richard Lewis, the Director of Tennis, sacked and not replaced, though full responsibility for the way forward for British tennis has since been handed to the Performance Director, Patrice Hagelauer, a Frenchman.

"I don’t understand how you can get rid of Richard and then all of a sudden you still have John in there when Richard was basically telling John what to do," said Rusedski. "It needs to be fixed sooner rather than later."

Roger Taylor, the British team manager, was seemingly stunned by the outburst and insisted on taking counsel before reacting. "It’s unfortunate that Greg has made these comments here at the Olympic Games," he later said. "Particularly at a time when the LTA are making many positive changes."

In the statement issued after the comments, Rusedski also issued a plea for the matter to be dropped until the Games conclude.

Rusedski said: "When I get back home I would like to sit down with John Crowther, chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association, and discuss the future of British tennis. I do not believe anyone should be fired but there is much we can do to make a positive change and difference. Please can we leave the matter until after the Olympics are over for the sake of all the British athletes."

On the court, Rusedski starts his Olympic challenge tomorrow along with Tim Henman, who faces Slovakian Karol Kucera.