Bernard Tomic’s embarrassing Wimbledon performance has former Australian players cringing, says Pat Cash, after the player confessed in a stunning post-match admission to feeling bored during his insipid 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 first round loss to German veteran Mischa Zverev and not being really concerned by his grand slam results.
He also acknowledged having a mental issue – lacking motivation and not respecting the sport enough. His comments at the sport’s biggest showpiece prompted former Wimbledon champion Cash to caution Tomic about the Australian tennis legacy he was jeopardising.
“I don’t think Bernie by a long shot represents everybody, Australian players,” Cash told the BBC. “He can do a lot worse than that to ruin the image that we’ve created. But a lot of ex-players are cringing, Aussies, especially the guys who started this pro circuit. We wouldn’t be here without these guys.”
Australian six-time grand slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs labelled Tomic’s comments a disgrace. “You’re an embarrassment to yourself, and not only to the sport but to Australian tennis,” Stubbs told the BBC.
Leading Australian tennis coach and commentator Roger Rasheed said 24-year-old Tomic needed help and agreed he should walk away from the game for a time. “The problem is, where does he go?” Rasheed told Sky Sports Radio.
“I don’t know where it [support] is going to come from, to be honest. You’d like to help the kid, as a person, just to talk to him to see what he’s interested in doing as a passion and try to work with that.”
Despite being heard complaining of a back problem during a medical time-out midway through the match, Tomic later said he wasn’t too troubled by it. “It was definitely a mental issue out there,” he said. “I don’t know why, but I felt a little bit bored out there, to be completely honest with you.
“So I feel holding a trophy or doing well, it doesn’t satisfy me anymore. It’s not there. I couldn’t care less if I make a fourth-round US Open or I lose first round. To me, everything is the same. I’m going to play another 10 years, and I know after my career I won’t have to work again.”
Nine-time Wimbledon winner Martina Navratilova said Tomic should get out of the sport if that’s how he feels. “It’s disrespectful to the sport and disrespectful to the history of the sport. If you can’t get motivated at Wimbledon it’s time to find another job. The spectators paid good money to come here and watch Wimbledon and the guy shows up and doesn’t try, he can’t be bothered. Just stay at home.”
'Bored' Bernard Tomic stuns Wimbledon as Australia has equal-worst men's campaign in 79 years
Premature exits for Tomic, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jordan Thompson left Australia without a men's singles representative in the second round at the All England Club for only the second time since 1938.
And only Russian-born qualifier Arina Rodionova — who fought off seven match points — has saved Australia from a humiliating and unprecedented first-round wipe-out.
But it was Tomic who made the headlines for all the wrong reasons following his lame 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 loss to German 27th seed Mischa Zverev.
The Australian had appeared to jar his back while bending down for a half-volley, and he called for treatment during the second set.
But his responses after the match gave the impression his problems went beyond the physical.
"To me, this is one of the biggest tournaments in the world that I have done really well in my career and, yeah, I just couldn't find anything," he said.
"You know I wasn't mentally and physically there, with my mental state to perform and I don't know why.
"But I felt a little bit bored out there to be completely honest with you. You know, I tried at the end and he managed to win that set 6-3 or 6-4, but it was too late."
Asked if he had thought about giving back his prize money as a first-round loser, Tomic replied:
"Well, if you ask [Roger] Federer to give back $500 million — would you — would he do that or not?
"We all work for money — at 34, maybe I can donate to a charity, but if you ask Roger if he'll do it, I'll do it."
Tomic was asked if he had felt like this on court before, and his reply summed up the state of his career.
"[I've felt like that] many times in my career and I'm sure you guys know that," the world number 59 said, laughing.
Rodionova saves the day
Rodionova stunned former compatriot and 16th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova — a player ranked 149 places above her and a quarter-finalist last year — 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 9-7 to be Australia's sole first-round survivor from nine starters.
Daria Gavrilova, the 20th seed, joined the exodus with a shattering 6-4, 2-6, 10-8 loss to Croatian qualifier Petra Martic.
"I think I can't really cope with the grand slam pressure," said the former junior world number one, Gavrilova.
But while she and fellow three-set first-round loser Ashleigh Barty — who saved six match points before succumbing to world number five Elina Svitolina on Monday — showed some fight, Australia's leading men flopped and, in Tomic's case, embarrassed.
The 24-year-old's sorry loss came a day after John Millman ran into rampant Rafael Nadal; qualifier Andrew Whittington's gallant run came to an end and Australia's big hope Nick Kyrgios lasted just two sets against Pierre-Hugues Herbert before retiring with a hip injury.
And try as they might on day two against seeded stars, Thompson and Kokkinakis were unable to back up their Queen's Club heroics — where between them they toppled both 2016 Wimbledon finalists.
A fortnight after his earth-moving win over world number one Andy Murray, Thompson crashed to a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) loss to Spanish 25th seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Kokkinakis, ranked 478th in the world in his continuing comeback from a deflating 19-month battle with injury, again showed promising signs in a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 loss to former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.
Kokkinakis took heart from his plucky performance but lamented the failure of Australia to have one men's player through to the second round.
"That hurts," he said.
"Obviously a few of us have played some tough players. Everyone has got their own reasons.
"Obviously Nick is hurt. Bernie had a tough one.
"I don't know who else was there. John played Rafa.
"Yeah, draws are a bit of a part of it. But I don't know, maybe we didn't all collectively play that great."
'Time to find another job': tennis greats lash Bernard Tomic
Bernard Tomic's embarrassing Wimbledon performance has former Australian players cringing, says Pat Cash as Australia endured its equal-worst Wimbledon men's campaign since World War II.
In a stunning post-match admission, Tomic confessed to feeling bored during his insipid 6-4 6-3 6-4 first round loss to German veteran Mischa Zverev and not being really concerned by his grand slam results.
He also acknowledged having a mental issue - lacking motivation and not respecting the sport enough.
His comments at the sport's biggest showpiece prompted former Wimbledon champion Cash to caution Tomic about the Australian tennis legacy he was jeopardising.
"I don't think Bernie by a long shot represents everybody, Australian players," Cash told the BBC.
"He can do a lot worse than that to ruin the image that we've created.
Nine-time Wimbledon winner Martina Navratilova said Tomic should get out of the sport if that's how he feels.
"It's disrespectful to the sport and disrespectful to the history of the sport. If you can't get motivated at Wimbledon it's time to find another job.
"The spectators paid good money to come here and watch Wimbledon and the guy shows up and doesn't try, he can't be bothered. Just stay at home."
Australian six-time grand slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs labelled Tomic's comments a disgrace.
"You're an embarrassment to yourself, and not only to the sport but to Australian tennis," Stubbs told the BBC.
Leading Australian tennis coach and commentator Roger Rasheed said 24-year-old Tomic needed help and agreed he should walk away from the game for a time.
"The problem is, where does he go?" Rasheed told Sky Sports Radio.
"I don't know where it's (support) is going to come from, to be honest. You'd like to help the kid, as a person, just to talk to him to see what he's interested in doing as a passion and try to work with that."
Despite being heard complaining of a back problem during a medical time-out midway through the match, Tomic later said he wasn't too troubled by it.
"It was definitely a mental issue out there," he said.
"I don't know why, but I felt a little bit bored out there, to be completely honest with you.
"So I feel holding a trophy or doing well, it doesn't satisfy me anymore.
"It's not there. I couldn't care less if I make a fourth-round US Open or I lose first round.
"To me, everything is the same. I'm going to play another 10 years, and I know after my career I won't have to work again."
Premature exits for Tomic, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jordan Thompson on Tuesday left Australia without a men's singles representative in the second round at the All England Club for only the second time since 1938.
And only Russian-born qualifier Arina Rodionova - who fought off seven match points - has saved Australia from a humiliating and unprecedented first-round wipe-out.
Rodionova stunned former compatriot and 16th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - a player ranked 149 places above her and a quarter-finalist last year - 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 9-7 to be Australia's sole first-round survivor from nine starters at tennis's greatest event.
Daria Gavrilova, the 20th seed, joined the exodus with a shattering 6-4 2-6 10-8 loss to Croatian qualifier Petra Martic.
"I think I can't really cope with the grand slam pressure," said the former junior world No.1," Gavrilova said.
But while she and fellow three-set first-round loser Ashleigh Barty - who saved six match points before succumbing to world No.5 Elina Svitolina on Monday - showed some fight, Australia's leading men flopped and, in Tomic's case, embarrassed.
The 24-year-old's sorry loss came a day after John Millman ran into rampant Rafael Nadal; qualifier Andrew Whittington's gallant run came to an end and Australia's big hope Nick Kyrgios lasted just two sets against Pierre-Hugues Herbert before retiring with a hip injury.
And try as they might on day two against seeded stars, Thompson and Kokkinakis were unable to back up their Queen's Club heroics - where between them they toppled both 2016 Wimbledon finalists.
A fortnight after his earth-moving win over world No.1 Andy Murray, Thompson crashed to a 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-4) loss to Spanish 25th seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Kokkinakis, ranked 478th in the world in his continuing comeback from a deflating 19-month battle with injury, again showed promising signs in a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 loss to former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.
Kokkinakis took heart from his plucky performance but lamented the failure of Australia to have one men's player through to the second round.
"That hurts," he said.
"Obviously a few of us have played some tough players. Everyone has got their own reasons.
"Obviously Nick is hurt. Bernie had a tough one. I don't know who else was there. John played Rafa.
"Yeah, draws are a bit of a part of it. But I don't know, maybe we didn't all collectively play that great."
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