Martina Navratilova is ready to take her first steps into politics by becoming tennis's first commissioner in a bid to break the disunity affecting the sport.
"It would be good if there was one power that would oversee everything [in tennis]," the American told reporters in a conference call on Thursday.
"Right now we have too many factions. A commissioner might be the best way to go eventually.
"Would I be interested in that position? Absolutely."
Andre Agassi argued earlier this week that a "Tsar-like" leader should be appointed to end the power struggles existing between the men's ATP tour, the women's WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Grand Slam tournaments and the players.
Navratilova, the 47-year-old with 37 Grand Slam titles and one of the most respected figures in tennis, believes she could succeed in mediating between the conflicting interests -- even if it became a bloody process.
"I think my experience and my past speak for themselves," she said.
"People would not question what I'm in it for. I would only be in it for the good of the game. That's where I hopefully would be able to make a difference in trying to get a consensus in moving in the right direction.
"NASTY WAY"
"We can get it done the nice way or it can certainly be done the nasty way."
Navratilova, born in the former Czechoslovakia, has in the past talked of her desire to go into politics -- an ambition delayed because of her extended playing career.
But as she prepares to return to Fed Cup action, when the United States meet Belgium in the semi-finals on November 19-20, she admitted a career change and her presence in political office could become reality.
She followed the recent progress of governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger in California, but insists she would go about earning her stripes in a different way.
"I [have] talked about getting into the political world in the state of Florida one day, since that's where I live now," she said. "I don't know when that would be.
"High office? One day, maybe.
"I wouldn't dare jump into that head first without really having put in any time.
"But it seems like 'outsiders' are very popular these days...he [Schwarzenegger] won on name recognition rather than his politics. That's pretty much what happened to [U.S. president] George W. Bush.
"The name helps obviously. I would feel that you really need to know your stuff."
