The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Bernard Tomic won't be getting an Australian Open wildcard

Bernard Tomic has come under fire from Pat Rafter, and police, and just about everyone. (AFP: Cameron Spencer, file photo)
4th January, 2018
0

Bernard Tomic is quietly plotting to defy the doubters and qualify for the Australian Open after being snubbed for a wildcard into his home grand slam.

Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley – who doubles as the Open’s tournament director – on Thursday ended months of speculation when he formally ruled Tomic out of wildcard contention.

“He’s not going to get a wildcard. He’d have to go through qualifying,” Tiley said of the fallen star and long-time former Australian No.1.

“Qualifying starts next week … and I would hope that Bernie would want to put himself in a position to play, but he’s indicated that that’s likely not going to be the case.”

Tomic, though, remains on the qualifying entry list and is said to be “fired up” to play, undoubtedly motivated to prove the critics wrong.

The 25-year-old former Wimbledon quarter-finalist has been on the outer since making himself unavailable for Davis Cup after last year’s Open.

Tomic’s exile was believed to be over a family funding dispute with Tennis Australia, with his coach and father John upset with TA over the governing body’s level of support for his talented 18-year-old daughter Sara.

It remains unknown whether Tomic even requested an Open wildcard, or always planned on trying to earn his own way into the main draw after plummeting from No.27 to 140th in the world rankings in 2017.

Advertisement

Either way, Tiley has made it clear the one-time world No.17 will need to survive three best-of-set qualifying matches to make the 128-strong draw for a ninth straight year, a decade after hoisting the junior trophy in Melbourne at just 15.

Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt and TA’s head of performance Wally Masur, who ultimately decide on wildcard calls, had forecast Tomic would miss out after opting out of last month’s wildcard playoff and then withdrawing from Brisbane International qualifying.

“We’ve made the offer. Lleyton did,” Tiley said.

“We said: ‘We’d just like you to play the Australian Open wildcard playoff and, if you just make yourself available and play it, you give yourself a good chance to get in’.

“We all know Bernie can play the game. He’s had some great wins here. He’s one of Australia’s top players and we’d love to see him competing and playing.”

After reaching the third round of the Open last year, Tomic won just eight more matches in 2017.

He was fined a Wimbledon-record $20,000 after admitting to feigning injury and being “a little bored” during a listless first-round loss to Mischa Zverev at The All England Club.

Advertisement

Regardless how he fares in qualifying, Tiley doesn’t believe Tomic has reached the end of the road at just 25.

“No, it’s a fork in the road,” Tiley said.

“Being a professional athlete is a long journey.”

close