Bernard Tomic breaks unwanted tennis record in 39-minute bloodbath

Forgotten Aussie tennis star Bernard Tomic has made history in disappointing fashion as he continues on the comeback trail.

Bernard Tomic has broken an unwanted tennis record, losing the shortest ever ATP Challengers final.

The Australian suffered a 6-0 6-1 defeat at the hands of 18-year-old rising American star Learner Tien in the final of a second tier Challengers event in Fairfield, Connecticut on Monday (AEDT).

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Tomic conceded six double faults and won 21 points for the match compared to 50 for Tien, who converted 5/9 break points.

The straight sets defeat lasted just 39 minutes, breaking the record for the fastest final loss in ATP Challenger history.

That’s four minutes faster than when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Dudi Sela at a 2019 event in Cassis, France.

It came 10 years after Tomic set the record for the quickest loss in ATP history when he lost to Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen at the Miami Open in just 28 minutes.

He also lost that match 6-0 6-1.

10 years later, Bernard Tomic sets ANOTHER record:

2014 - Quickest loss in ATP Tour history
2024 - Quickest final loss in ATP Challenger history

With an identical scoreline too. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/np3BIO8Oez

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) October 13, 2024

Despite the one sided result, it was a strong tournament for Tomic, who reached his first Challengers final in six years and improved his ranking to 207th in the world.

He won four matches including four tie-break sets to make the final.

The USA have eight men in the world top 50 and Tien looks like he could soon crack the top 100.

Bernard Tomic broke an unwanted tennis record.

The disappointing result in the final continues a rollercoaster year for Tomic.

In August he was unceremoniously booted from the stands of a tournament in the Dominican Republic for heckling the player who had bested him just days earlier.

The 31-year-old hasn’t played a grand slam since 2021 and will have to win his way through qualifying to make the Australian Open if he isn’t given a wildcard.

Tomic, who had been sent tumbling from the RD Open in Santo Domingo after a 6-2 6-2 loss to Ecuadorean Andres Andrade, apparently couldn’t let the defeat go.

When Andrade advanced to the final the next day, Tomic took it upon himself to shadow his every move from the stands, moving around the venue to ensure he was always at the same end of the court as his former opponent.

As Tomic’s antics escalated, tournament officials intervened, ejecting him early in the second set. The crowd responded with a raucous cheer as Tomic was escorted out, much to the relief of Andrade.

“I want this guy to be taken out,” Andrade was heard saying, clearly fed up with the distraction.

The chair umpire confirmed Tomic’s removal and assured Andrade that the Australian wouldn’t return.

In June, Tomic retired mid-match at the Little Rock Open in the US state of Arkansas.

Tomic had been battling illness and called for a doctor several times. He got into an argument with his girlfriend Keely Hannah, who was sitting in the stands, about how he got sick.

Tomic retired mid-match earlier this year after arguing with his girlfriend.

“Bernard and his girlfriend just continuing to argue,” the ATP Challengers commentator said.

“The long and short of it, Bernie saying, ‘You tested positive for Covid today’, girlfriend saying, ‘No, that was two weeks ago’.

“I did not anticipate having to commentate a couple’s quarrel here — but here we are.

“Either way, uncomfortable for all the fans here, who are just wanting to see a little bit of tennis tonight, but I don’t know that they’re going to get it.”

In grim scenes that wouldn’t have been out of place in Zendaya’s new tennis movie Challengers, Tomic eventually retired after just five points in the second set.

His girlfriend immediately got up from her seat and left the grandstand.

The former World No. 17’s best results are a Wimbledon quarterfinal in 2011 and three fourth round appearances at the Australian Open.

Originally published as Bernard Tomic breaks unwanted tennis record in 39-minute bloodbath