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Why Bernard Tomic is definitely not counting his millions

Roar Rookie
16th January, 2018
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Bernard Tomic has missed out on qualifying for the Australian Open. (AAP Image/Mark Dadswell)
Roar Rookie
16th January, 2018
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Bernard Tomic has once again proven why he is one of the most polarising figures in tennis, after making controversial remarks following his failure to qualify for the 2018 Australian Open.

Tomic was pressed by journalists following his failure to qualify, and his sarcastic response was unfortunately unsurprising.Tomic responded to the media present by quipping, “I just count my money, that’s all I do. I count my millions.”

These remarks represent the lack of maturity of a man who has wasted his potential to this point. He sarcastically wished reporters luck by telling them to “go make $13-14 million.”

One look at the ATP World Tour website will show you that he’s earnt $5.2 million ($6.6 million AUD) in combined singles and doubles career earnings. He may have reached 13-14 million dollars with sponsorships over the years, but now he is currently without a racquet sponsor, with his sole endorsement being Nike.

Tomic’s annual tennis earnings average out to $500, 000. He hasn’t won a Singles title since 2015, so the likelihood is that the past few years have been lean in terms of earning potential.

By missing the Australian Open, he won’t be adding to those millions anytime soon.

The Australian Open marks the first Grand Slam Tomic has missed in seven years, continuing his fall from grace in the sport.

Just two years ago, Tomic reached a  career-high ranking of Number 17 in the world. He now sits at 143rd.

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In 2010, the United States Tennis Association estimated the annual average costs for a highly professional tennis player to be $143,000 ($179, 494 AUD) when you factor in travel, coaching and accommodation costs.

Consider those costs over the course of  Tomic’s ten-year career, and that sum comes to nearly $1.8 million AUD.

With such costs, it is believed that only the 164 highest-ranked men’s players would’ve broken even. Tomic is dangerously close to dropping out of that threshold.

Bernard Tomic mid swing

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Former world number 1 tennis player Andy Roddick perhaps put it best in response to Tomic’s arrogant claims, tweeting: “Maybe stop for a second and think of the millions you’ve left on the table.”

Australian tennis great John Newcombe has also warned Tomic in the past that the money can dry up quickly.

Newcombe stated that opportunities to earn big prize money will diminish as his ranking decreases. Entry to bigger tournaments will be harder to come by, and with a lack of money from sponsorships, Tomic could find himself in trouble financially pretty quickly.

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Tomic is of the belief that he will play another ten years and then never have to work again. If Newcombe’s comments are anything to go by, there’s a strong chance that Tomic’s millions will evaporate before then.

Simply put, Tomic’s comments are yet another chapter in the narrative of his quickly-fading career.

At the age of 25, there is still plenty of time for him to turn it around. The sad part about that is that it feels as if we have been holding those same hopes for five years now.

With each year brings fresh disappointment, and the time Tomic has left to establish himself as a tennis great is passing quickly.

Tomic once declared he had “the heart of Lleyton Hewitt”. Within four years of turning pro, Hewitt won two Grand Slams and reached the World Number 1 ranking. Within ten years he had won 27 titles. Tomic sits at three.

There was a period of time where Australia placed all of its men’s tennis hopes into Tomic.

Since then, Nick Kyrgios has far surpassed Tomic, although his career has been plagued by his own antics. With 18-year-old Alex De Minaur recently passing Tomic on the world rankings, it is imperative that Tomic spends less time counting his millions, and more time playing tennis.

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He may not care now, but Tomic will find it increasingly hard to continue playing tennis at a high level with his current attitude. If the millions dry out, that’s when he’ll care. By then, it may be too late for him.

He can add that to a list of professional woes which seem as long as his slide down the rankings.

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