Romanian tennis legend Ilie Nastase was always a nasty piece of work

Yes, he screamed at umpires and swore at linesmen. But he was also the clown prince who charmed us with pranks such as borrowing a policeman’s helmet, hiding under the Centre Court tarpaulin and putting a mouse in Arthur Ashe’s locker. 

He once even played while holding an umbrella in one hand to protest against an umpire’s refusal to suspend a match during a shower. 

But this week the man who was also known as “Nasty” reverted to type while captaining Romania in their Federation Cup tie against Great Britain at a Black Sea resort. 

At a press conference, while Romanian player Simona Halep was answering a question in English about world No 1 Serena Williams’ pregnancy last Friday, he turned to one of his other team members and added in Romanian: “Let’s see what colour it has. Chocolate with milk?” 

A crass remark that betrayed a very questionable attitude towards racial differences. 

Next, the four-times married 70-year-old put his arm tightly around the British team captain Anne Keothavong – aged 33, married and pregnant – and asked for her hotel room number, all this within earshot of the media. 

His behaviour got even worse once the tie got under way. It wasn’t long before he was abusing the umpire and then turned on Keothovang and Britain’s top player Johanna Konta when they complained about noise from the crowd during points calling them f****** b******”. 

Konta was so upset her match against Sorana Cirstea had to be suspended to give her time to recover her composure. 

Meanwhile Nastase was banned from having any further involvement in the tie and escorted from the venue. 

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) later said he “may not participate in the Fed Cup in any capacity with immediate effect”. 

It now looks certain that the volatile Nastase, who likes to turn up to Wimbledon in the uniform of a retired major-general in the Romanian Army, will be barred from the Royal Box this year. 

It is a sad blow to the reputation of a man who was once a favourite of the crowds at SW19, where he appeared in two memorable finals. 

He lost both but did win seven Grand Slam titles in total and was the world No 1 from August 1973 to June 1974. With his chiselled features, mane of long black hair and great legs he wowed the female contingent. 

On one memorable occasion more than 5,000 women turned up to watch him play a match on an outside court with a capacity of just 1,500 and the police had to intervene to restore order. 

Many a rival’s match was interrupted by the sound of screaming girls as Nastase tried to leave the grounds, with Wimbledon officials forced to utilise up to three decoy cars to get him in and out without incident. 

He took full advantage of his notoriety. His motto was “Party tonight, tournament tomorrow” and in his 2004 autobiography Mr Nastase he claimed to have slept with 2,500 women, including Margaret Trudeau, ex-wife of the former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau and mother of current premier Justin. 

Men’s magazine Maxim ranked Nastase sixth in its Top 10 Legends Of Sex, where he was sandwiched between the priapic actor Jack Nicholson and silver-tongued crooner Julio Iglesias. 

“I had a great time but I cannot remember much,” he said. “If I remembered every girl then I’d be a genius. I know I had a lot of girls but I was not the only one, everyone did the same.” 

Naturally his marriages suffered. His first wife, a Belgian fashion model called Dominique Grazia, lasted 10 years. 

She was followed by US actress Alexandra King, and then two Romanians: Amalia Teodosescu, a cigarette girl he met at a Sting concert, and Brigitte Sfat, a fashion model he first spotted on TV, who remains Mrs Nastase to this day. 

He has five children (two of them adopted) but family life has historically taken a back seat to his career. 

As he once said: “When you play tennis nothing can bother you, not even a wife, not even a child. Nothing.” 

Not that Nastase is a man given to learning. In his ghostwritten autobiography he admitted he had never read “a whole book”. 

And there are signs this week’s bout of unedifying behaviour may not be an isolated incident. 

Former US Open finalist Pam Shriver, now 54, claimed he made inappropriate comments to her when she was a teenage star, repeatedly asking if she was a virgin until she plucked up the courage to ask him to stop. 

Yesterday Nastase was still trying to brazen it out: “I don’t regret it. They can send me to prison if they want – I don’t care. I don’t need this bull****. I’m 70 years old. I don’t even get paid for being team captain. I don’t give a s*** if they fine me or don’t let me sit in the captain’s chair.” 

He can also kiss goodbye to any chance of being granted an honour he has coveted for years. 

Despite his memorable displays at Wimbledon and repeated written requests, Nastase has never been given membership of the All England Club. 

Following his latest exploits, his file is probably destined for the shredder.