Bernard Tomic: I’m Bored During Matches, It’s Tough To Find Motivation Even At Wimbledon

Bad news for Bernard Tomic fans (if there are any). The controversial Australian is again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after telling the press at Wimbledon that he just isn’t interested in winning. The rant came after a 64, 63, 64 loss to Mischa Zverev. Tomic revealed that he felt “bored” at times during the loss and that he’s just lost interest in the sport.

Tomic is currently ranked No. 59 but with fourth round Wimbledon points coming off, he’ll drop down close to No. 70. So unless he finds that spark, his opportunities will dwindle.

Reports are the tour is considering action against Tomic for his…honesty.

Q. What was the injury?
BERNARD TOMIC: You know, I just thought I’d try to break a bit of momentum, to use that as my strategy, because I was just playing very bad and feeling bad out there. I tried to use something different maybe, you know, slow him down a bit on the serve. He was playing quick and we were all playing quick and he was serving well.

You know, I did play a lot better in Eastbourne, but the conditions were different there. And he is a very, very tough player to play on grass. It’s why he played very well in Australia, made the quarters and beat Murray.

He has the game to play against me. For me, this was going to be tough regardless if I beat him last week or not. It’s a difficult match for me. I just started bad the first set, and then, you know, mentally I wasn’t there after he broke me in the second.

I think I paid the price for that.

Q. Your back okay now? Any issue at all?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, not really. I just — it was definitely a mental issue out there. Yeah, I just tried to break a bit of momentum but just couldn’t find any rhythm and, you know, wasn’t mentally and physically there with my mental state to perform. I don’t know why, but, you know, I felt a little bit bored out there. You know, to be completely honest with you.

So I tried at the end and stuff, he managed to win that set 6-3 or 6-4, but it was too late.

Q. Have you thought of giving the money back?
BERNARD TOMIC: Which money?

Q. The prize money for turning up.
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, if you ask Federer to give back $500 million, would he do that or not?

Q. You were just saying you were bored out there.
BERNARD TOMIC: We all work for money. At 34, maybe I can donate to charity. If you ask Roger if he’ll do it, I’ll do it.

Q. Would you donate it to charity?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, if Roger and Novak, these guys will, no problem.

Q. Have you felt like that before in a game?
BERNARD TOMIC: Many times in my career, and I’m sure you guys know that.

Q. Is this an issue that’s going to keep coming up then, do you think?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I think I have done it a lot in my career, and I paid the price. You know, there is a lot of good tennis players out there that, in my opinion, will not win slams. It was just won by a lot of these top guys, and I believe, you know, there are many, many good players that will not win slams.

Hopefully maybe I can win one in my career. Maybe not. We’ll see.

Q. What’s the solution? Because the ability is clearly there.
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, to be completely honest, like I said before, it’s tough, you know. I’m 24. I have done, came on tour at 16, 17. I have been around and feels like I’m super old, but I’m not.

So, you know, just trying to find something, you know, this is my 8th Wimbledon or 9th I think. I’m still 24, and it’s tough to find motivation, you know. Really, me being out there on the court, to be honest with you, I just couldn’t find any motivation.

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. It’s happened to me a lot. Just can’t find anything on the court.

Q. Have you ever told yourself that the ability is there?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, yeah, I know.

Q. Do you need a break from tennis, do you think?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, you know, I’m happy with my life and obviously there’s — we have to look back. I was in worse positions than this, you know, at 120, 130 in the world, and then managed to turn around the past few years and be a top-20 player.

But, you know, it’s my choice. You know, I know I have to work hard. For sure I don’t do the right work. You know, you need to be super fit and you have to enjoy it and you have to travel a lot. I have experienced a lot until 24.

You know, I know I have another 10 years to go. We all work for one thing. And I believe, you know, you have to respect the sport. But I think I don’t respect it enough, yes, because I, you can say, super talented.

I just believe playing many years on tour now has sort of come, taken a toll. You need to find that sort of energy. I’m just trying to find something. Now heading into the U.S. maybe play well in some tournaments there. Nothing to lose. Just try and enjoy it.

Q. Is success still important to you?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. You know, to be honest with you, you know, I see, for example, Zverev winning Rome, and achieving, you know, I have won titles in my career, I have made finals, a bunch of them.

So I feel holding a trophy or, you know, 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. You know, I’m going to play another 10 years, and I know after my career I won’t have to work again.

So for me this is mental.

Q. Can you understand there is frustration with the general public with the way that you present at times?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, of course. I mean, look, Nick’s I think the same. You know, we are these players that, you know, obviously are different.

Like I said, there is so many good players, in my opinion, that have done a lot better than me that will never win Grand Slams in their career that are on tour. And, you know, having that ability, like myself or Nick, you know, we can play amazing and maybe we win one, two, as opposed to they never win in their career.

Maybe this is an advantage, but we have many years to go and obviously I will have to work harder to have any chance of winning a Grand Slam, this is for sure.

Q. Do you want to work harder?
BERNARD TOMIC: Sometimes I do; sometimes I don’t, you know. You know, I’m just speaking honest truth about it. You know, some weeks I play well and beat a bunch of players and do super well in tournaments.

That’s sort of what brought me in the past couple years in the top 20, when I was 19 and 20, 20s, 25 in the world. I was enjoying it.

But now it’s a roller coaster, and I just can’t seem to find, like, the commitment to work hard, to enjoy, and to lift trophies. Maybe I have to look at a few things and maybe play less tournaments.

But to me right now, I’m just not super pleased, not happy with myself, but I’m in between.

Q. Nick is putting off surgery. You have had double hip surgery. What advice would you give him, given you came back to reach a career high ranking after surgery?
BERNARD TOMIC: Good question. He’s played so well in his career in the last three years, and, I mean, I know it’s his labrum and hip and just his left one. He doesn’t have that problem with his right. I had two hip surgeries the same week. I was out for four or five months.

Prior to I think I made the Sydney final, lost to Del Potro. After that I couldn’t play for three, four, five months, and my ranking went from whatever, 50 to 130.

But I knew I needed to work hard then to get back in. And, you know, one year later I was at 17 or 16 in the world, and managed to play well last year as well, started 17 and finished at 24, 23.

I feel like he just needs to do it, because, you know, there is a lot of players that have done it. Raonic, Lleyton, myself. And if he has that problem, then I believe he needs it done because he’s serving and he’s an explosive player and he’s using those hips and legs. I feel he has to put aside a couple months.

He’s not doing two hips, I believe. One shouldn’t be a problem. Should be back enjoying tennis in a couple months.

Q. Do you think an extended break might tell you how much you want this sport and how much you want success?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, right now not really. I mean, I’m playing Atlanta, Washington, and I’m going to continue to play Toronto, whatever, US Open, try to do well there.

Yeah, and then last year I had the same situation. I mean, I finished at 23, 24, but I sort of didn’t play end of year from after Beijing, Shanghai, because I was a little bit tired and stuff.

But, you know, I will continue to work and try to do well in those U.S. tournaments and we’ll see. Can’t guarantee anything.

Q. There were some strong criticisms on social media, particularly from Australians back home. Is that something you take notice of? Do you have any opinion on that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Strong criticism? When, for today or no?

Q. Yeah, today.
BERNARD TOMIC: Like, what was said?

Q. One person I saw was calling for you to be deported from Australia.
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I’ll have to take — that’s pretty bad.

Q. I thought it was pretty harsh, to be fair.
BERNARD TOMIC: I know, I know. Well, that’s his opinion. I’m sure he’s on the computer somewhere making $50 an hour.

Q. (Question about changes off court.)
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it’s there. Whenever I want, put a good team, people to help me and support me. Can get good coaches and this is no problem for me. But I don’t think I really want it. And it’s a problem I have just got to assess it. And even if it takes some time, and, you know, see how this works. Because right now, like, if you say, can you get a coach and trainer, because I have had four, five people on my team and stuff.

But the last sort of year or two, nothing motivates. Even the years I was in the top 20 I was with one of my friends that’s not even a coach, lives in Miami, he was helping me for the year, and I got there. It was all myself that pushed to succeed and to play well the past two years.

These last six, eight months can’t find any sort of — like you said.

Q. On a day like today, do you feel any kind of guilt or anything towards the people in the crowd when you feel like you can’t give your best effort?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, it’s not I don’t give my best. I still try to go for it in a way today. Because he was serving well. I couldn’t really serve at all. The points seemed pretty quick, because they are only one-, two-rally shots. He’s serve/volleying every point.

I just got upset with myself because a few chances I had I completely mishit the balls or wasn’t focused. That’s obviously me, and, you know, Ferrer is maybe different to me, obviously.

Me, you know, while I do feel a bit of guilt and I’m like maybe I could have played four or five sets, but in my opinion, he played well and I was just playing terrible and I just couldn’t find any rhythm, and he deserved to win.