Australian tennis has produced legends like Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Pat Cash, Patrick Rafter, and Lleyton Hewitt. In recent years, new talents have emerged, but some—like Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic—have attracted more attention for off-court incidents than on-court achievements.
Born in Australia on October 21, 1992, Tomic picked up the sport at an early age under the guidance of his father, John—a hands-on presence who would later spark several controversies. As a junior, Tomic stood out, winning two Grand Slam titles: the 2008 Australian Open and the 2009 U.S. Open.
Back in 2009, Tomic was one of Australia’s hottest tennis prospects, while Lleyton Hewitt was still the face of Australian tennis—a proven Grand Slam champion and Davis Cup stalwart. That September, a story from Hewitt’s then-manager, David Drysdale, caused quite a stir.
Drysdale recalled: “We turned around and saw Tomic’s fans nearby, and I thought, ‘Oh, maybe he got our message and is here to hit with Lleyton.’ So Hewitt’s physio went over to Bernard’s coach and asked, ‘Is Bernard here to practice with Lleyton?’ Rudy didn’t know anything about it, but said, ‘Look, Bernard is looking for a hitting partner, and I think he’d like to.’ But then Bernard’s agent walked in and said, ‘No, he’s not here to practice with Lleyton—Lleyton’s not good enough’”.
Bernard Tomic and Llewton Hewitt of Australia look on during the official draw ahead of the Davis Cup Tie between Australia and the United States. (Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)
According to Drysdale, those were the exact words: “Lleyton’s not good enough”. The comment stunned Hewitt and his team. “Lleyton just couldn’t believe it,” Drysdale said. “And the more he thought about it, the angrier he got”. Ironically, years later, Tomic and Hewitt would end up sharing the court—this time as teammates for Australia in the Davis Cup.
see also
She is a former World No. 1 and US Open champion who retired at 25 amid physical bullying struggles
Breakthrough on tour
Tomic cracked the ATP Top 100 and reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2011. He won his first ATP title in January 2013, added back-to-back Bogota crowns in 2014 and 2015, and peaked at a career-high No. 17 in 2016.
Wimbledon sanctioned Tomic twice
Wimbledon is one of the crown jewels of the tennis calendar—an event every player dreams of competing in. But for Bernard Tomic, two appearances at the All England Club ended in controversy and fines rather than glory.
The first incident came in 2017, when Tomic fell to Mischa Zverev—brother of Alexander—in the opening round. After the match, he admitted in a press conference that he had faked an injury to slow things down, which led tournament officials to hit him with a £13,000 fine. In that same presser, Tomic made headlines with a blunt statement: “I don’t care if I make the fourth round of the U.S. Open or lose in the first round. I’m going to play another ten years, and I know after I retire I won’t have to work again”.
Two years later, in 2019, Tomic faced Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round and lost 6-2, 6-1, 6-4—in just 58 minutes, an unusually short duration for a best-of-three-sets match at the Slams. Wimbledon officials determined that Tomic had violated the tournament’s code of conduct by failing to put forth his best effort. As a result, they withheld his £45,000 prize money.
Tomic’s Challenger Tour controversies
After several seasons where he appeared increasingly disconnected from the sport, Tomic’s performance and ranking took a significant hit. No longer in the ATP’s spotlight, the Australian was forced to return to the Challenger Tour—where he once again drew headlines for all the wrong reasons.
In 2024, two incidents stood out. The first came in August at the Santo Domingo Challenger, where Tomic lost in the quarterfinals to Andy Andrade. When Andrade later played Damir Dzumhur in the final, Tomic showed up in the stands and began heckling him, leading to his ejection from the venue.
Just two months later, Tomic reached the final of the Fairfield Challenger against Learner Tien, but suffered a lopsided 6-0, 6-1 defeat in only 39 minutes. The opening set lasted just 16 minutes, making it the shortest final in Challenger history.
Return to the ATP stage with a new mindset
After improving his ranking, Tomic earned opportunities to compete in higher-level events again. In 2025, he entered qualifying rounds at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros, and also played in several ATP tournaments. In June, he secured his first ATP Tour victory in four years.
Bernard Tomic of Australia plays a forehand during a practice session ahead of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
Speaking to Punto de Break in March 2025, Tomic reflected on his career and personal growth: “When you have an engine and a purpose, you get up every day with something to focus on, something to do. Everyone needs a purpose in life. I felt I played really well in my career during the first five, six, or seven years, but after that I wasn’t playing this sport enough. Now I’d rather not have that much attention—being in the media spotlight isn’t good”.
