Bernard Tomic is determined to let his racquet do the talking after a 2018 full of drama and redemption
After a season of tumult and redemption, Bernard Tomic believes his best tennis is still ahead as he prepares for a Kooyong Classic clash with fellow rebel Nick Kyrgios.
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After a season of tumult and redemption, Bernard Tomic believes his best tennis is still ahead as he prepares for a Kooyong Classic clash with fellow rebel Nick Kyrgios.
On the brink of oblivion in May last year when his ranking slipped to No.243, the Wimbledon quarter-finalist resurrected his career with a spectacular resurgence to No.85.
Determined to let his racquet to do the talking, Tomic paid the feat scant regard – mostly because it is in the past - and, at 26, he is more interested in the future.
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Asked about the 2018 revival, Tomic prefaced his assessment with: “I’m gonna be very blunt, so don’t mind me.
“I mean, did it (returned to the top 100), but I guess it’s done now. It’s onto other things now.
“I don’t have any specific goals. It’s just to stay healthy, play tennis.
“I only played first five months to the start of this year. So it was good catch up.
“Obviously I was (ranked) 250 in the world. I think what I did the last three months was pretty good and I have to build this year, play every week as much as I can.”
Due to face Kyrgios on Wednesday in the pair’s first career meeting at Kooyong, Tomic made it clear he intends to continue his taciturn approach.
“You know me, there’s no more point to talk,” he said.
“I’ve just had enough of everyone … so I would rather not speak.”
That being so, one of richest sources of polarising news bites has vanished, replaced by a tight-lipped straight-shooter.
Despite a commitment to exposing as little as possible, much less make predictions, there is palpable animation around what might lay ahead.
Asked if the world had not seen his best, Tomic said: “We’ll see, we’ll see.
“Obviously I shouldn’t have stopped last year but I gave myself a bit of a break because I needed it.
“Now the focus is the next couple of years.
“If I play my best, I can have a good year.
“To be honest, tennis is not the main priority.
“It’s to stay healthy and enjoy.
“I have to do my job, it’s not the end of the world, you know.”
Tomic’s 2018 Australian summer reeked of the unorthodoxy which defines his career.
Self-exiled after deciding not to contest Tennis Australia’s wildcard playoff, he was then eliminated from qualifying, marking his first main-draw absence since 2008.
If losing to world No.203 Lorenzo Sonego was not galling enough for some, the Gold Coaster’s subsequent appearance in “I’m A Celebrity … get me out of here” was the last straw.
Tomic, formerly ranked No.17, ignores the criticism, accusing critics of being fickle.
“It’s like all of a sudden people look at Andy Murray’s ranking of 280 or look at (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga’s ranking of 100 and say they’re finished,” Tomic said.
“You can’t say those things about people who’ve been at the top for long periods.
“People go on about Nick’s (Kyrgios) ranking and stuff and Thanasi’s (Kokkinakis) ranking. It doesn’t matter.
“It takes years and years to get to the top of the sport.
“All people have different issues, they have injuries.
“We’ve chosen not to play as much and that’s our responsibility.
“But we’re humans and we need rest. It’s not easy playing this sport for many years.”
Tomic will open proceedings at Kooyong against Jack Sock and then partner sister Sara in a mixed doubles match against John and Sally Peers.
On Wednesday, he will cross swords for the first time with Kyrgios.
“It’s, for me, important,” Tomic said of Kooyong.
“It’s good preparation and that’s why I’ve chosen to play there.
“I think it’s the best step I could have done to play Kooyong. I’m looking to win some matches down there against great opponents.”
From Monday, he returns to the Australian Open main draw, fatalistic in his chances.
“I played there already for nine or 10 years, youngest match in history,” he said.
“That’s in the past … I couldn’t care less.”
NICK KYRGIOS v BERNARD TOMIC
Kyrgios (Brisbane) and Tomic (Chengdu) were the only Australian men to win singles titles last year.
At grand slam level in 2018, it was a confronting year for the former prodigies.
Tomic did not win a main draw match and failed to qualify at the Australian Open before taking a short break.
Kyrgios’ promising start to the season was blunted by fourth-round defeat at the Australian Open before elbow issues forced him out of the French Open – where he was due to play Tomic first-round.
Stinging third-round defeat at Wimbledon to Kei Nishikori was followed by a round-of-32 exit at Roger Federer’s hands in New York.
Kyrgios pulled the plug on a testing season at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow in October, finishing the season with a 25-13 record.
Dethroned as the Brisbane champion last week, he finally gets to trade blows with Tomic at Kooyong on Wednesday.
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