Latest news with #Tomic
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Shock Tomic move stuns as Aussie sacrifices title to chase real comeback dream
Bernard Tomic has proven his haters wrong by sacrificing a great chance to end a seven-year trophy drought to pursue his ultimate goal of playing in a grand slam again. The 32-year-old veteran has turned his life and career around in the last 24 months and his new-found focus has seen him climb up the ranks at a rapid rate. At the end of August 2022, Tomic was a 29-year-old ranked 835 in the world, and completely off the radar. From a career-high of World No.17 in January 2016, it was as low as he had been since his initial rise after turning pro, and it was a point where many tennis players would have thrown in the towel. But not for Tomic. Having once bragged about 'counting his millions' after a lacklustre performance in Australian Open qualifying in 2018, he has put in the hard yards grinding on the ITF Tour. While in 2025 the Aussie has again started to compete on the ATP circuit, climbing up to 184 in the world, which will soon be World No. 169 when rankings next update. And in a true showing that he is hungrier than ever to succeed, Tomic forewent the opportunity to claim an elusive title to chase his dream of again playing on the biggest stage. Tomic reached his second ATP Challenger final this month, where he was drawn to face world No. 314 Arthur Fery, a man ranked well below him, providing him the perfect chance to finally claim a title and $22,000 in prize money. However, after the weather in Barranquilla, Colombia, didn't want to play ball, the final was delayed 24 hours. Fans were then left stunned when hours later, news trickled in that Tomic had withdrawn from the final, with Fery crowned champion. While initially the decision raised eyebrows, it was ultimately revealed that it was because Tomic had a plane to catch, giving up his chance of winning a title to try and qualify for the US Open, which would mark his first grand slam appearance in nearly five years. And Tomic hasn't played at Flushing Meadows since 2018, where he was beaten by Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round of qualifying. But a rejuvenated Tomic isn't giving up on playing on the big stage again, set to take on American Patrick Kypson, the world No. 212, in the first round of qualifying. If he overcomes that challenge, Tomic will likely face Pierre Hugues-Herbert in the second round. While a third-round win would see Tomic make the US Open main draw and see him score a hefty $170,000 payday. Lately, Tomic has shown glimpses of the player who was once ranked 17th in the world. In June, he defeated world No. 77 Aleksandar Kovacevic and Aussie world No. 88 Rinky Hijikata. And speaking about what brought about his career resurgence, Tomic told the Changeover podcast that his goal is again to crack the top 100 and try to fulfil his potential, so he can one day retire without regret. 'Tennis has become part of my life ever since I was seven. Obviously, I had a dad that pushed me extremely hard, and that's one of the reasons I got there, in a sense,' Tomic said in June. 'But when you look at this whole picture, now that I'm 32, it's a purpose. It still gives me something to do. Without tennis, I don't know what I would do. 'I'm sitting about 200 in the world, or whatever, and my goal is to be top 100, and then I can retire. It's more of a statement, that sort of thing, so let's see if I can do it. 'But the whole sort of sense you've got to find your purpose, something that gets you going now that you're older, you want something to give. And it's about tennis. 'It's the only thing I'm good at. I've been good at it for almost three decades, so it gets me going. I can still play decent. I'm not in my prime like I was … but that's why I'm challenging myself to get back there one more time. And then retire happy, guilt-free.'
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Bernard Tomic's latest act proves haters wrong as Aussie turns down big title glory to chase dream
Australian tennis bad boy Bernard Tomic has proven his haters wrong by sacrificing a great chance to end a seven-year ATP trophy drought to pursue his ultimate goal of playing in a grand slam again. The 32-year-old veteran has turned his life and career around in the last 24 months and his new-found focus has seen him climb up the ranks at a rapid rate. At the end of August 2022, Tomic was a 29-year-old ranked 835 in the world, and completely off the radar. From a career-high of World No. 17 in January 2016, it was as low as he had been since his initial rise after turning pro, and it was a point where many tennis players would have thrown in the towel. But not for Tomic. Having once bragged about 'counting his millions' after a lacklustre performance in Australian Open qualifying in 2018, he has put in the hard yards grinding on the ITF Tour. While in 2025 the Aussie has again started to compete on the ATP circuit, climbing up to 184 in the world, which will soon be World No. 169 when rankings next update. And in a true showing that he is hungrier than ever to succeed, Tomic forewent the opportunity to claim an elusive ATP crown to chase his dream of again playing on the biggest stage. Tomic reached his second ATP Challenger final this month, where he was drawn to face world No. 314 Arthur Fery, a man ranked well below him, providing him the perfect chance to finally claim an ATP title and $22,000 in prize money. However, after the weather in Barranquilla, Colombia, didn't want to play ball, the final was delayed 24 hours. Fans were then left stunned when hours later, news trickled in that Tomic had withdrawn from the final, with Fery crowned champion. While initially the decision raised eyebrows, it was ultimately revealed that it was because Tomic had a plane to catch, giving up his chance of winning a title to try and qualify for the US Open, which would mark his first grand slam appearance in nearly five years. And Tomic hasn't played at Flushing Meadows since 2018, where he was beaten by Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round of qualifying. But a rejuvenated Tomic isn't giving up on playing on the big stage again, set to take on American Patrick Kypson, the world No. 212, in the first round of qualifying. If he overcomes that challenge, Tomic will likely face Pierre Hugues-Herbert in the second round. While a third-round win would see Tomic make the US Open main draw and see him score a hefty $170,000 payday. Lately, Tomic has shown glimpses of the player who was once ranked 17th in the world. In June, he defeated world No. 77 Aleksandar Kovacevic and Aussie world No. 88 Rinky Hijikata. And speaking about what brought about his career resurgence, Tomic told the Changeover podcast that his goal is again to crack the top 100 and try to fulfil his potential, so he can one day retire without regret. 'Tennis has become part of my life ever since I was seven. Obviously, I had a dad that pushed me extremely hard, and that's one of the reasons I got there, in a sense,' Tomic said in June. 'But when you look at this whole picture, now that I'm 32, it's a purpose. It still gives me something to do. Without tennis, I don't know what I would do. 'I'm sitting about 200 in the world, or whatever, and my goal is to be top 100, and then I can retire. It's more of a statement, that sort of thing, so let's see if I can do it. 'But the whole sort of sense you've got to find your purpose, something that gets you going now that you're older, you want something to give. And it's about tennis. 'It's the only thing I'm good at. I've been good at it for almost three decades, so it gets me going. I can still play decent. I'm not in my prime like I was … but that's why I'm challenging myself to get back there one more time. And then retire happy, guilt-free.'
7NEWS
a day ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Bernard Tomic withdraws from rain-delayed ATP Challenger final to focus on US Open qualifying
Bernard Tomic has sacrificed his latest chance to end a seven-year ATP trophy drought to instead take his shot at a much bigger prize — the US Open main draw. The 32-year-old Australian veteran's resurgence continued over the weekend when he reached his second ATP Challenger final this month. But the decider was rained out and delayed by 24 hours before ultimately being cancelled when it emerged Tomic had decided to withdraw. Tomic is entered into US Open qualifying beginning on Monday, calling for swift travel from Barranquilla in Colombia to New York. He was the third seed in Barranquilla and a good chance to win the title over world No.314 Arthur Fery, who made his name at Wimbledon earlier this year with an upset win over Aussie Alexei Popyrin in the first round. Tomic had also reached the Lexington Challenger final earlier this month on the back of a comeback from 1-4 down in the third set of a semi-final against world No.124 Eliot Spizzirri. But he was beaten in the decider, with his Barranquilla withdrawal extending the wait to win his first ATP Tour or ATP Challenger title since 2018. Tomic will begin his tilt at a first grand slam appearance since the 2021 Australian Open on Tuesday in New York. He will face American Patrick Kypson, the world No.212, and could face former world No.36 Pierre Hugues-Herbert in the second round. A third win would send Tomic into the US Open main draw with $US110,000 ($A170,000) in his pocket, along with crucial ranking points. Tomic has risen from 825th in the world three years ago to 184th this week — his highest position since September 2019 — and is almost certain to contest qualifying at the Australian Open next year. His goal remains returning to the top 100, securing direct entry into the grand slams, before retiring. Tomic showed that is a legitimate possibility with wins over then world No.77 Aleksandar Kovacevic and Aussie world No.88 Rinky Hijikata on grass in June. 'Tennis has become part of my life ever since I was seven. Obviously I had a dad that pushed me extremely hard and that's one of the reasons I got there, in a sense,' he told the Changeover podcast that month. 'But when you look at this whole picture, now that I'm 32, it's a purpose. It still gives me something to do. Without tennis, I don't know what I would do. 'I'm sitting about 200 in the world, or whatever, and my goal is to be top 100 and then I can retire. It's more of a statement, that sort of thing, so let's see if I can do it. 'But the whole sort of sense you've got to find your purpose, something that gets you going now that you're older, you want something to give. And it's about tennis. 'It's the only thing I'm good at. I've been good at it for almost three decades, so it gets me going. I can still play decent. I'm not in my prime like I was ... but that's why I'm challenging myself to get back there one more time. And then retire happy, guilt free.' Elsewhere in US Open qualifying, an all-Aussie match-up looms between two of the country's five other men in the draw. First-up wins would pit James Duckworth and James McCabe against each other in the second round. Jason Kubler, Alex Bolt and Omar Jasika are the other Australians bidding to join a strong cohort of top-100 stars in the main draw. Alex de Minaur heads the group featuring Nick Kyrgios, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson, Christopher O'Connell, Rinky Hijikata, Aleksandar Vukic, Adam Walton and Tristan Schoolkate. Schoolkate was rewarded with a wildcard entry after recently breaking into the top 100 for the first time, having missed direct entry at the June cut-off. Ten Australian women will also attempt to qualify for the US Open this week — but not all can make it. Former doubles world No.1 Storm Hunter will resume her comeback from injury against compatriot Maddison Inglis. All-Aussie match-ups also loom between Priscilla Hon and Daria Saville (possible second round) and Astra Sharma and Emerson Jones (possible third round). Olivia Gadecki, Arina Rodionova, Destanee Aiava and Lizette Cabrera round out the Australian hopefuls seeking to make the main draw. Talia Gibson, who peaked at world No.107 last month, received a wildcard to join Daria Kasatkina, Maya Joint, Kim Birrell and Ajla Tomljanovic in the tournament proper.
The Australian
10-08-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Why there's still hope for Bernard Tomic despite Chicago retirement
At first glance, it had all the hallmarks of a classic Tomic capitulation. Playing world No.424 Stefan Dostanic, he won the first set and went up a break in the second. Then he tripped over returning a serve on match point, lost the second set, went down a break early in the third and retired shortly afterwards. The social media blow-up was immediate. Dig a little deeper though, and it might not be so clear cut. Just days earlier, Tomic reached his first Challenger final of the year in Lexington, Kentucky, and had shown some real grit in fighting back from 1-4 down in the third set to win his semi-final against Eliot Spizzirri. The result in Lexington, when he played five matches in quick succession, including a three-set loss in the final, saw Tomic move up to 184th in the ATP rankings. It's the highest he's been since 2020. Despite the retirement in Chicago – which can be put down to fatigue and wanting to freshen up before focusing on US Open qualifying – there could still be hope for the former teen prodigy, who seems to have found direction again after years in the wilderness. FREEFALL Tomic was already one of the most-hated sportspeople in Australia when he reached his career-high ranking of 17th in the world in 2016. But even before that, and despite winning Junior Australian and US Opens, there were questions about how far Tomic could go at the top level in the sport considering the advice he was getting. 'He would have developed into a better tennis player if he was able to secure the right people around him that were able to put in a program that allowed him to develop,' veteran coach Roger Rasheed tells Code Sports. 'Could he be a person I thought was going to elevate himself into the top 10 and win majors? I never saw that in his game, to be honest. 'It needed so much. It was in its infancy, but it never really got out of that, to be perfectly honest.' Off the court, meanwhile, the problems were more obvious. There had been driving offences, a late night arrest in Miami and running battles with Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia, Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter and the media. Then there were the all too frequent accusations of tanking and giving up. For every run deep into a tournament, there would be a retirement when things got too tough. So he received little sympathy when his ranking nosedived. It was like a slow motion car crash. His reputation as a quitter was only solidified when he walked off I'm a Celebrity…Get me Out of Here after just three days in 2018. When Covid hit, Tomic spent several years partying and drinking, and became a laughing stock when he 'starred' in an OnlyFans video with his then-girlfriend, reality TV star, Vanessa Sierra. On court, it was even worse. In August 2022, he had dropped to 825 in the world, and the following January he was snubbed by Tennis Australia, who refused to award him a qualifying wildcard for the 2023 Australian Open. RENEWED PURPOSE Just as he was drifting towards irrelevance, Tomic had a sudden realisation. 'Without tennis, I don't know what I would do,' he told The Changeover Podcast. So, he set himself a new target. 'My goal is to be top 100, then I'll retire,' he said. 'You've gotta find your purpose. Something to keep you going. Without tennis what am I gonna do? 'It's the only thing I'm good at. It keeps me going.' After years spent listening to his erratic father, John, and dealing with the pressure of an expectant public in search of the next Hewitt, it might be the first time that Tomic has taken control of his own career. His goal is more modest than the multiple Slams his father – who declined to be interviewed for this story – wanted him to win, but at 32, it remains a huge challenge. Tomic always preferred guile, deception and precision to raw aggression, but there's not much room for that type of player in a tennis world dominated by out-and-out power hitters and baseline-hugging defensive workhorses. 'I'll give him credit that he's been prepared to turn up at Challengers and put himself out there and play week in, week out – you've gotta tip your hat that he's out there and doing it,' Rasheed says. 'But I think Bernie's game, unfortunately, with the tennis and the position the Tour's in now, it's gone a long way past him.' But the goals are his now, and he seems more determined than ever to achieve them. How else do you explain his commitment to travelling to no-name tournaments in locations as far flung as Rwanda, India, Colombia and the Dominican Republic? Which is why this time, he might just achieve those goals. 'I think that's a reasonable call,' says Mike Ford, the president of Tennis Gold Coast, who has known Tomic for more than 20 years and hit with him when the freakishly talented junior was just 11. He too watched Tomic's retirement in Chicago on Wednesday morning, but still argues that his late-career resurgence should be celebrated. 'If he was the 184th best lawyer in the world, or the 184th best scientist we'd be saying he's unbelievable,' he says. 'But he's a tennis player, so we realise that there's a drop off after 20 or 40, and we don't really care. 'But the reality is, it's a terrific effort to get that high at his age. 'You're probably dreaming of too much if you think he could get inside the top 50, but the fact he's got that mentality that makes him turn up every week, anything's possible.' Watching Tomic play recently, you can tell he still has plenty of what made him the best junior player on the planet. The delicate touch is still there, so is the precision, shot selection and the creativity. But the sight of him sitting down after going behind 0-2 in the third against Dostanic, is a reminder of that part of his game too. 'He's smart, he understands the game and he is going to have those wins, but the reality is, what else would he do?' asks Rasheed. 'It's tough financially too for players in that vulnerable spot, because you need to perform every week. 'You need a lot to go in your favour to jump to the next level and get yourself on the main tour again, and I'd be very surprised if that was available to Bernie anymore.' Still, Ford hopes Tomic might still change peoples' minds if he achieves his goal of cracking the top 100 again. 'I think people come around with time,' he said. 'He's taken a different pathway, but he's there and he's competing. 'He's getting results. 'I think people will turn and say, 'Gee, look at that guy, he's a worker, he keeps at it'. 'You can't play that many matches a year without having a real love for playing tennis. 'I think he's a little bit more resilient than he used to be, but to what degree we don't know. But hey, it's got him to 184th in the world, and that's terrific.' Next stop, the US Open qualifiers. Hopefully. Brendan Bradford Content producer Brendan Bradford is a sports writer for CODE Sports. He primarily covers combat sports, league, union, cycling and athletics. Brendan has worked in sports media for a decade, covering world title fights, World Cups, Grand Slams and Spring Tours. Olympics Six athletes who won the highest accolades on the global stage will receive one of the country's greatest sporting accolades. Television The Australian's chief sports writer, Jessica Halloran, has won a Logie for Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, the feature documentary she co-directed.
Perth Now
07-08-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Bernard Tomic calls it quits after falling over on match point
Crestfallen Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic has added another blooper to his reel of lowlights, falling over on match point in an ATP Challenger Tour clash. And that was no metaphor — he actually fell over. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Bernard Tomic falls over on match point. The former world No.17 had match point and a look at American world No.424 Stefan Dostanic's second serve when he lost his footing and tumbled onto the court as his racquet went flying. Tomic took some time to get up and recompose himself while a nearby supporter could be heard asking if he was OK. Dostanic went on to win the game, take the set to a tiebreaker, which he won, and then claim the match when Tomic retired hurt after losing the first two games of the third set. Tomic, who will be 33 in October, has fallen to 211 in the world. Bernard Tomic fell over on match point. Credit: ATP Challenger It's a far cry from his former Davis Cup teammate Jordan Thompson, who is enjoying the form of his life in the twilight of his career. Thompson, whose battling heroics proved the highlight of the Australian challenge at Wimbledon, is to return to action at the Cincinnati Open after a much-needed injury break. Thompson worked wonders with his beaten-up body to reach the last-16 at the grass-court grand slam, having negotiated two five-set classics and a four-setter even while suffering from a debilitating back injury. His extraordinary run ended with him, almost inevitably, breaking down and being forced to retire against Taylor Fritz. He's since grabbed a crucial month's rest and recuperation following a season in which he's been so plagued by a catalogue of injuries that he had even talked at Wimbledon of possibly quitting for the season. But the indefatigable 'Thommo' will be back in action in the Masters 1000 event at Cincinnati which begins on Friday, after his name featured among eight Australians in the main draws for the traditional star-studded warm-up event before the US Open. He will join Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin, fresh from their encouraging runs to to the quarter-final at the Canadian Open, as well as Chris O'Connell and Adam Walton in the men's draw, while Daria Kasatkina, Maya Joint and Ajla Tomljanovic will feature in the women's. Jordan Thompson has had a month's break following his injury-defying heroics at Wimbledon. Credit: AAP Thompson, whose ranking has dropped to No.44 in the world, will open up in Cincinnati against a qualifier and will be keen to avoid an early exit that could consign him to a place outside the top 50 for the first time since the start of his breakthrough 2024 season. De Minaur, who has a first-round bye, will meet the winner of the Hugo Dellien-Reilly Opelka first-round contest in the last-64 while Popyrin will face a qualifier in his second-round opener. No Australian man has won in Cincinnati since Pat Rafter 27 years ago, and it will be once again the tallest of orders with the game's two biggest names back in the fray. World No.1 Jannik Sinner and No.2 Carlos Alcaraz are seeded to meet each other in what could be another classic final after they shared triumphs at Wimbledon and Roland Garros respectively. Both men gave Toronto a miss, with top seed Sinner ready to defend his Cincinnati crown after beating Frances Tiafoe in the final last summer. - With AAP
