Give Bernie a break, he's just being honest

Australian sport is in a catch 22 with these young players. Pull them up for their attitude and threaten to cut off the funding over that and nonperformance or give them multiple second chances on the hope that one day they will grow up. Britain has gone down the path that Aus sport was renowned for and are reaping the rewards.

Here you go: "The Grand Slam Committee fined Tomic $US15,000 ($A19,760) for unsportsmanlike conduct after the Australian confessed to feigning injury to take a strategic medical time-out during his 6-4 6-3 6-4 loss to German Mischa Zverev."

i couldn't agree more.

If you are not trying is that not a form of match fixing.

I guess he's talented and dumb. He announces before hand (I'll be top 10). Best to deliver rather than pressure yourself. He sees that he really is not good enough to beat the best. So he's playing for money. He's actually a pretty entertaining watchable player, so I hope he gets over it, and plays on to enjoy. It's the only thing he'll ever be any good at so make the most of it. Talk is cheap. Results are on the board.

The LTA in the U.K. have pulled their support from players who aren't winning matches or have the wrong attitude no wonder that they are producing better players than Australia at the moment. They got their act together when Ian Ritchie the outgoing RFU CEO was running the show there. I think he is retiring which is a pity as Tennis Australia and the ARU need a man like him to turn things around

He was a junior champion at one of the majors he probably would have been up against the likes of Raonic and Dimitrov in those ranks

The difference is that we pay for him to represent Australia, so technically we are his boss and he technically just told his boss that he's unhappy with his job.

Perhaps the millions of dollars gifted to Tomic from Tennis Australia via their Player Development Program is partly reason for the backlash. Surely, one a player has turned professional, that funding should be removed and redirected to a junior player with potential to help their development. Given that Tennis Australia receives significant funding from Government, many would prefer to see tax dollars being invested in players with more heart and backbone than the likes of Tomic. If Bernard feels so bored, then perhaps a media release announcing some time away from the game he finds so dull, rather than his mixture of cheating (feigning injury) and tanking on one of sports grandest stages. If Tomic is too mercenary to take some time off, then maybe a 12 month tour suspension for bringing the game into disrepute would serve him well. I am more than happy for Tomic to honestly share his thoughts on his job. Just don't disrespect the game, the other players and the fans, who work a damn site harder than Bernard ever has, to afford the tickets.

tomic is a loser, start winning grand slams like federer or nadal and being world no 1 then you might lose your loser status.

So what is your read on why we don't have any young champions contesting the Wimbledon crown? Tomic stated he was disinterested, unfit and having mental problems with the game. To me that is classic burn out and credit to him that he is honestly appraising the situation and not snorting truck loads of dodgy stuff just to keep going. USyd is doing research related to the excessive training of young athletes. The research is headed by an ex AIS swimming coach whose job it was to take promising 15/16 year old swimmers to the next level. It got to the stage where 40% of these young kids were being rejected because their bodies were so wrecked by over-training, that any further hard work could cause permanent damage. Although not part of the research, this professor was very disturbed by the psychological issues many of these kids presented. Go and have a look at how they flog the promising young athletes at your local pool, athletic field, tennis courts and gymnastics hall and you will understand why Tomic, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have such injury and mental strength problems.

'You also need to ask why Wimbledon will be fought out between 30+ year olds Murray, Djokevic, Nadal and Federer. Tomic is Gen Y ' Those four players aren't from a different generation. Three of them are younger than me and I am Gen Y. Gen X ended in the late 70s. They got to where they are because they gave a damn in their peak career years and train hard in their rare down time. Federer certainly had attitude problems on the court in his early 20s which explains why he sticks up for Kyrgios even when he clearly is in the wrong. Djokovic changed his diet when he had issues with his breathing on court and was known for withdrawals or frequent injury time outs. He put a stop to it and we all know about his results after that.

He has already lost his racquet sponsor so he will now have to pay to get for his own bag and racquets.

If you get a ticket to Centre Court at Wimbledon you often don't get a choice in which players you get to watch as it is done by ballot. 'When you buy tickets to a grand slam you expect to see professionals play. You don’t choose who you watch. ' Yep it's often sold by sessions for the big courts which is only known a day in advance in Australia and often less with the other majors, It's unlike getting a ground pass or watching it on the hill where you can pick and choose which match you get to watch.

I have always been a tomoc fan, I do wonder if his just not that good(youth star doesn't equal adult star). I agree thee lack of effort is there at times but even at his best I wonder if his just too slow and lacks the shots. I am not saying his a bad player just not eliete and he has realised this. I agree with above that a year out of the game to refund his hunger is perfect and he has no shortage of cash.

How many tax dollars were driven towards funding his youth development?

Maybe once Tomic pays back all of the money Tennis Australia has put into his development, then the Australian public might give him a break. Other talented young tennis players missed out so Tomic could get his shot at the big time. His attitude and behaviour is nothing short of disgraceful and the sooner he is gone the better.

I understand the points you've made, however, in the past we've heard Tomic brag that he's a top 10 player, he's gonna do it etc, and now he's ranked 50 and shrugging his shoulders saying "Don't care if I lose" That's not honesty; that's BS from someone who grew up beating everyone and never learnt how to lose graciously. His behaviour is disgraceful - it taints the whole sport. Imagine if Nadal or Federer threw a tanty and gave up in the 4th or 5th set of a final when staring down the barrel, and then saying "Whatevs. I've earned over $100 million...it doesn't matter." For EVERYONE who cares about the sport - and that's an appreciable number - it matters.

What is it with tennis dads? Golf is similar to tennis in that it is a high profile international, individual sport, but as far as I know it doesn't have the same problem.

"They (Gen Y) deal with their problems as they arise and respond appropriately, unlike the other generations who carry on regardless out of some sense of duty." I can't actually see that Tomic is dealing with or ever has dealt with his problems. I certainly don't detect any willingness on his part to change. Agassi had that willingness to confront his issues and came out a better man and a better tennis player for it. I never had much time for Agassi until he dropped down to the Challenger Tour and worked his way back up to the top. That took determination and courage, and a very strong will. I don't see young Mr. Tomic showing any of that in his behaviour.