Bernard Tomic breaks silence on police investigation into match-fixing

Bernard Tomic has spoken out for the first time after he was interviewed by police into suspicious bets made on two of his games.

Bernard Tomic has broken his silence surrounding a police investigation into a match-fixing probe.

The investigation hit headlines in the middle of the Australian Open with the 32-year-old caught in the thick of it.

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Currently playing in the Brisbane Challenger, the 220th ranked star kept his cards close to his chest when asked about the probe.

“I’m not gonna comment about that,” Tomic said. when quizzed about the police probe surrounding two matches he played in 2021 and 2022.

“Tennis keeps me alive, keeps me sane, gives me something to do. Without tennis, you lose your purpose.

“To finish the year in the top 100 would be great. We’ll see how we go. A lot has changed in tennis - my expectations can’t be too high. I have to be realistic.”

Tomic didn’t want to comment on the investigation. Photo Steve Pohlner

The match-fixing probe was launched after an investigation by the Age, which outlined how a multi-agency police taskforce was put together to investigate suspicious wagering on two matches involving the former world No. 17.

Online bookmakers flagged a number of suspicious bets on Tomic’s match with Russian player Roman Safiullin during the Australian Open in 2022 and another match he played months earlier in Turkey.

During the match against Safiullin – Tomic made headlines after a mid-court outburst about his struggles with Covid-19.

“For sure in the next two days I will test positive, I’m telling you. I’m telling you,” Tomic said to the umpire during the match.

He later tested positive to the virus. Picture: Channel 9

Tomic was put into isolation after the match. Picture: Instagram

“I will buy you dinner if I don’t test positive in three days. Otherwise, you buy me dinner.”

Tomic lost the match and ended up returning a positive result for Covid-19 48 hours later.

Police looked into the possibility of links between the online gamblers and Tomic - or one of his associates – in the bets, with the International Tennis Integrity Agency seizing Tomic’s phone and questioning him.

However, the investigation ended after failing to produce enough evidence for criminal charges to be laid.

Tomic was only a subject of the police probe. Photo Steve Pohlner

There is no suggestion Tomic or anyone of his associates are guilty of any criminal conduct – only that they were the subject of a police probe.

He was able to continue his international circuit – with Tomic bowing out of the 2025 Australia Open during the qualifiers.

“Tennis Australia’s integrity team has worked with the ITIA and law enforcement agencies since first alerted to concerns relating to betting activity in tennis,” a Tennis Australia spokesman told The Age.

“[Tennis Australia] integrity’s role in any investigation has predominantly been one of support throughout. We have been advised there is no current police investigation into this matter.”

Originally published as Bernard Tomic breaks silence on police investigation into match-fixing