He raised eyebrows when he predicted he would test positive to COVID but Bernard Tomic was right all along.
The 29-year-old Aussie lost his Australian Open qualifier against Russia’s Roman Safiullin in straight sets. During the match he made a (one-way) bet with the umpire that he would test positive and if he did the umpire had to buy him dinner.
The prediction turned out to be 100% correct and it is vindication for Tomic after many saw the move as another excuse for the controversial tennis player.
Tomic told The Age that he really was committed to a big 2022 and that the virus knocked him around.
“I still feel pretty sick,” he said.
“I feel worse mentally than physically because I really was motivated to make a comeback and show the Australian public that I can be the tennis player they expect me to be. I’m disappointed this virus stopped me from doing that.
“I just couldn’t fire on all cylinders. As much as I tried, I didn’t have the energy to fight. I’m going to do everything it takes to get back to the top. I really appreciate everyone’s support.”
Tomic took aim at the testing protocols during his straight-sets loss.
“I cannot believe nobody is getting tested. They are allowing players to come onto the court with rapid tests in their room – c’mon. No official PCR testing.”
Tomic is the second Australian tennis player to receive a positive result with Nick Kyrgios also racing the clock to recover in time for the Open.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
This is a new strain so the sensible thing to do would have been to go for lockdown till there is an omicron specific booster. If you look at the nations around the world if you dont lockdown early and hard, then you get massive cases and then have a much much longer lockdown anyway. WA and China have had less lockdowns masks than the rest of the world. I think Cuba have an effective vaccine with no side effects we should be using that.
Enna Maher
Guest
PC R , hilarious, the same ones no longer accepted by the CDC in the US , because they have been shown to be inaccurate and produce bogus positive ? And the RATs , they'll show a positive by running a tap on them . C O V I D IS A HOAX . OPEN YOUR EYES .
Enna Maher
Guest
It's the dop es that comply by wearing masks , using these QR tracking codes, and waiting in a line for hours to see if they have been touched by the imaginary c o v I d bogeyman that are the problem. Stop complying and this all goes away. C O V I D IS A HOAX
Enna Maher
Guest
Gotta love a regurgitating expert. These concoctions do nothing , they aren't va cc ines , all the players have been double , triple, quadruple ja bb ed , yet they still get it and get sick . A few have even withdrawn from the tournament due to chest pains, HELLO ! It's unfathomable that zombies like you are still lapping up the propa ganda.
Gary
Roar Rookie
I empathise if you are tired of what appears to be never ending, and frequently changing, restrictions and mask mandates. But, people will call out those who mislead, or deny facts. Eg. Australia is not a fascist state, we just have a rubbish leader.
WINSTON
Roar Rookie
Of course I understand how it works. Just sick of this Ausie fascist state. You Australians can't even see how rabid you have all become. Too close to the crocodile to see the teeth
Marcel
Guest
29 is too old to still be blaming Daddy.
Gary
Roar Rookie
How is it ironic? All 3 (Bernie, Nick, Novak) were exposed to covid and caught it, at different times... none have gone to hospital. Do you understand what the vaccine does? Djokovic, right now, is under investigation in Spain, Serbia, and Australia for breaking the law.... Nick and Bernie are not.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
What is the irony if Novak had the disease in December supposedly. We know he had the disease for sure in 2020. The vaccine has gone from being effective preventing transmission in the early variants versus being fairly effective with delta, to now being a lot less effective with omicron. In terms of preventing hospitalisations and deaths the vaccine is very effective.
WINSTON
Roar Rookie
Horrible irony that only the Australian players are testing positive whilst Novax looks as healthy as a new penny. Makes me wonder about my own triple vax status. ( not really though, I'm happy to be vaxed)
JGK
Roar Guru
His complaint about the lack of testing is an important one. RATs are no substitution for PCR (despite what our PM tells us).
WINSTON
Roar Rookie
All the Australians getting Covid? They should leave Novax alone and sort out their own problems. I'm fully vaxed and happy about it, but let tennis now take the headlines, not the Australian border folk trying to justify their error filled debacle