I met Bernard in 2O14 at a nightclub in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast. I asked if I could get a photo and he said yes and was very polite. He was a little tipsy, but he was just a successful young man out and about living his life having fun which he couldn't do as a kid because his Dad was abusive and overbearing. I sat down and talked with him for about an hour. He is a great guy. He is just misunderstood. For that hour I spoke with him I was talking with a genuine guy. I asked him questions and he was kind enough to answer them and give me some of his time. Also when he went out clubbing people would harass him constantly because of what the media would say about him. I actually stood up for him because I actually have a heart and I really felt sorry for him. He couldn't even go out and enjoy himself without being hassled by jealous drunk men. Only his close friends know what he is really like and deep down his heart is in the right place.💯

FYI: Older interview from around 2017. He was 24 then, he's 31 now in 2023

This interview was when Tomic was 24 and ranked at his best of 17. He is now 31 with a ranking of 289. He has been out of the top 100 since September 2019 and out of the top 200 since Februrary 2020. Anything, of course, is possible: Federer and Serena were still playing top-shelf tennis just shy of their 40th birthdays and Djokovic, at 36, is dominating the me's game. Judging from this interview, Tomic does not seem mentally well. He wants to be liked, but is knowingly crass. He seems certain about what he says and does, but, by his own admission, he is mostly confused. I hope he has invested some of his millions to sustain him into old age. His tennis career now is probably costing him money rather than making it.

I would say one thing: he’s very honest. I wish him all the best.

So much sadness in those eyes

That he and Kyrgios hate each other is hilarious considering that they reflect each other.

Abuse in childhood does permanent damage regardless of how much talent you may have. Bernard is like the rescue dog that just turns into a completely different animal in moments of deep anxiety and fear.

Now that was fascinating. It's as if he's caught between reality & all that the material world has to offer. Both of which, displeases him .. I got goosebumps watching him coach, therein might be his purpose .. 🖤🙏 Great Story, thank you

"These people who probably work in a factory" - Navratilova (referring to fans inside Wimbledon)

Love him or hate him, you have to admire him for at least being totally honest about his lack of love for the sport and admitting it's just a job for him. A lot of others in his position would still try and give that false hope to the viewers that they love the sport bla bla

I remember watching this fella at Wimbledon 2011 when I was 13 when he got to the quarter finals as an 18 year old qualifier. He took the second set off of eventual champion Djokovic in that quarter final and was a break up in the third as well when Djoko was having that insane year when he went on some mad unbeaten run at the start of the year and properly pulled away from Federer & Nadal by winning 3 of the 4 Slams if I remember correctly. He was after knocking out the then world ranked number 5 (Robin Soderling) in straight sets in the earlier rounds and really looked like the proper next big thing. He had such a natural ease about his groundstrokes and how flat he would strike them. I was really excited about his potential and future prospects in the game as a spectator but now here we are 12 and a half years later with him as a 31 year old having spent the last while of his career on the Challenger Tour sleepwalking through his career and having missed the boat to lay his marker in the game. Obviously didn't have the hunger & drive to dedicate himself to the profession to realise his potential. Pity.

"from the ground to the sky.." - beautiful

His Dad ruined his career.

I thought he was funny and real. ‘Don’t pay to see me play. Watch on tv for free.” I don’t understand why everyone seems to want him to be a champion. They’ve got no idea how hard champions train, and how crazy they have to be to want to be number 1. Are the people who expect him to be a champion champions themselves? It’s fine by me if he only wants to put in 50% effort. He can do whatever he wants. He has enough money to retire. He has far more money than most of us will see in a lifetime, we should all take a moment to appreciate how hard it would have been to get where he is.

I genuinely feel sorry for him. Tomic’s dad was physically abusive and terrifying for him. A classic case of a kid coming from a dysfunctional upbringing and struggling with fame and fortune

the honesty is just outstanding.

Targeted by media. Let him live.

He has achieved something, many pro tennis players cannot achieve.

Im 100% with Tomic, kids are kids and the media is evil, who can blame the Tomics?

I'm almost at the end of the video, and I realize this interview took place seven years ago. He was 24. He's 31 now. I wonder whether he has changed.

Stay how you are mate, the world is full of people who judge and never look at themselves!

Who are we to judge him for the way he chose to live?

When a child is expected to be an adult during childhood that child, as an adult, will live as the child they were not allowed to be, but during their adulthood.😢. As a tennis novice, who is not familiar with this player, here are key words I heard him share during this interview: I’m confused; I’m trapped. That is sad.

Thsi interview is so heart-warming.

That's why parents should be not allowed to coach their kids once they reach pro level. Saying that,I don't feel sorry for Tomic. He made his choices. I wish him the best from now and on.

I don’t follow tennis at all. I will say this I respect his honesty and not worrying about being PC. Good onya

"I dont tank". He literally does. Does he forget cameras exist?

Sounds like his dad pressured him to “love “ tennis. I’m sure that had a huge impact. People, media, fans, should have taken that into consideration. He is a person with faults; aren’t we all?

That jeeps absolutely horrible and would be a money pit.

He’s grown into a wonderful person as noted and he’s done better to better himself. All grown up now, and a wonderful gentleman. Time to let the past bury itself and let him grow and shine in his own right. Who are we to judge, he’s happy where he’s at and that’s all that matters.

Love how the subtitles at the start call it a super dumb Jeep.

His dad controlled his life, he rebelled.

Channel 7 put their spin on it. Always beware of Tomic and Channel 7.

Still love him You have to love the honesty

Hey needs to do Ayahuasca and find himself again

He is on the challenger circuit trying. Got to give home credit for that

Great interview. Interesting guy but troubled. He's not going to change though anytime soon.

Bernard Tomic is now 31. He is still among the top 300 best tennis players in the world. He still plays on the professional circuit every weeks. He makes no money from it except his bus fare. He just plays for love, wins a few, loses a few, keeps sane and the media keep away. Like most super elite athletes, he has had muliple injuries and serious depression. You have no right to hate him.

You can recognise that Yugo head miles away.

Imagine Novak says he's play just for the money 😂

Wishing Tomic to find joy, happiness, and peace in whatever he chooses to do in his life. He really deserves it.

Lol, living in Miami like a douche. Seems about right. 😆

He has money and lives his life however he wants to live it. Like most of us would.

He is cringe

Keep him there America you deserve him.

WOWWWWWW I LOVE IT BERNARD IS LIKE KYRIOS BRUTALLY HONEST

how could he be labeled bad boy when the whole home country was trying to destroy him and his father from the begining

Well done sit-down. Rare brutal seemingly honest responses from him. A simple shallow analysis would blame the father. Burnt out early. Love of the game vanished. "Like father like son" Sad and real. Great lesson for us all.

Lol there is no coming back for Tomic, too old, too late. Now he has the rest of his life wondering "what if" ...

He always has an explanation for the questions the reporter has carefully constructed. People call them “excuses,” but they seem fair enough to me. You can’t fault him. He doesn’t live in fear and shame for his actions when he was younger. Most men play up when there younger, why should he be ashamed for that. Yeah sure he’s not perfect, but no one is, and he has plenty of time in his life to figure things out. God bless you Tomic ✝️🙏

Looks so much like Medvedev in this

I wonder if anyone thought about the role Tennis Australia plays / played/ or never played in the rise and fall of Tomic and Kyrgios. Both struggled with mental health yet it appears to be the duty of the parent to always be there. Both represented Australia at the highest of level, both responsible for putting bums on seats and millions in the bank accounts of Tennis Australia yet it wasn't mentioned once. After all, what were you doing when you were 18? , nothing can prepare a professional sports person what comes with fame and fortunes, aka Namoi Osaka, Emma Radacanu etc.

So saaaaad. I genuinely felt sad for the guy. He’s a lost soul right now. But I wondered why this popped up and then googled him. This year at the time of writing this his rankings have gone up from 800 over to 250 about. Hope he gets a wildcard into the Aus open. I know he doesn’t deserve it sadly

You Aussie need to stop putting these young brats on a pedestal and wonder why they misbehave as adults.

Thing is, who cares?

Is this a heritage of religion that enjoying life means being a bad boy? I am sorry, but most young boys are "bad" by nature, or they want to be rebellious and stand out. He got this opportunity, money, fame and everything he dreamed about very early; then he realized that he was not living his life (maybe his dad's?). Started to question his own existence out there. His game was just a projection of his mental state, and mental health is a topic that got popularized only with Osaka several years ago. Do we forgive sportsman only when they tore a muscle, but mental state is unforgivable? What about the rest of people? Mind you, he didn't harm anyone (but himself maybe).

Bad behavior in tennis will not succeed...

Why am I still seeing stuff about Tomic ? He doesn't regret anything. He is disrespectful and lazy so let him play ITF tournaments

F tennis Bernard….just do whatever makes you happy as life is so short. I don’t think Bernard realizes what a wonderful leader he is you can see how he connects so well with young people. I just hope he has a happy life whatever he chooses. Hopefully he gets to play Kyrios again as I reckon he would take him apart.

"Journalists" today aren't real journalists. It's clear that Tomic doesn't have a good relationship with his father and was likely abusive - you can just see it in Tomic's face and body language. Plus, she probably didn't bother reading Agassi's book about his relationship with his father and the damage it did him. And she says "get on with it" as if someone deeply hurting as he is can just turn a switch and "get on with it." It's weird that people today don't seem to realize how bad parenting puts a hole in a person's soul. Also strange that there's a lot more compassion toward Kyrgios than Tomic.

Brought up by an awful narcissist father .. he is sure narcissistic… a full narcissist… who. Knows ?

Tomic give 100% for 2 years or 3 and see if you win a slam.

"Too rich too early"... Motivation?

Ugh. He's so gross.

Tomic is a manipulator.. just like Channel 7

I call bullshit on the dad headbutting a young trainer because the guy spit on him. We all know that was a sick parent's coverup. No kid is going to spit on a guy as intimidating as his POS dad. But sadly, Tomic covers for him too......

Shame.

People don't realise that this is an old video.

I never realized how much he looks like Daniil

What a disaster story, look at that nasty face, that is the reason he failed. Daddy did not help.

His dad has a lot to answer for I think... However, what's wrong with Australian tennis is the bigger question? We have very few elite level players doing big things currently. De Manur is the closest. It almost sounds as though we have a culture of bullying.

Tomic's background is Croatian, of course his father was going to be tough on him. From an Eastern European parents point of view, if you weren't strict with your kids; drugs, alcohol, partying & wasted lives were always a scary thought. Stuck between 2 cultures, navigating the unknown & doing what you think is best for them. Tomic grew up in the spotlight. The media hyped him up by putting insurmountable pressure on him from a young age. He also got rich too quick. An easy target for gossip journalists who only cared about views & readership. Hewitt & McEnroe also received backlash early on in their careers. Nick Kyrgios more recently. Media dissecting every move they make & constantly baiting them to ensure they get their clicks & likes, at the expense of turning decent, talented young men to be viewed as villains. Eastern Europeans are proud, strong & honest. They see through disingenuous calculated compliments, & false praise. They speak their minds & often the West don't like it. They prefer showboats who say & do what the media & public expect them to. As with Novak Djokovic throughout his career, when, as a 19 year old, he confidently stated that he believes he can beat Nadal & Federer. His confidence was mistaken for arrogance. When these guys do something good, out comes the old chestnut - "He is desperate to be liked". Guys like Bernard can't win if they are a media target. He is right, how did that reporter miraculously appear only minutes after he was stopped by police? Gutter journalism is why most people today don't trust the media.

Tomic has not fallen -- it is a choice he has made.

The man had absolutely no real answer to what makes you happy .That right there is a real problem.

Live your life and do your thing Bernard, There is an old saying in Croatia. " A lot off dust behind a good horse"

He's done! Too late. Tennis moves fast.

Nice video about Bernard. 👏

im a huge tennis fan, and i am an aussie , of greek background. So one would assume I would be a fan of Nick Kygrios, who is also of Greek descent, however, to me?? Nick is a MALAKAAAAA. Ive always preferred Tomic over Nick. Even though this interview is 7 years old, im still hoping Tomic has at least one deep grand slam run left

Now he’s broke

He's gone for good , Nick is next.

He just doesn’t have that drive anymore. I started playing at 7 and got a scholarship to play tennis at a PAC-10 college back in the mid 90’s but around my junior year in high school I got so burnt out. I had to take a little time off from playing tournaments and im glad I did because if not I don’t think that I would of come back and played my senior year and gotten my scholarship. But he has just made so much money that drive and desire are gone. I can see it in him and I totally understand it. My advice to him is take 6 months off and reassess your situation. Agassi did it and he came back stronger than ever and that’s when he started winning slams. After Andre won Wimbledon in 1992 until he came back in 1995 and started winning he was ranked 136 th if I remember correctly and was playing satellite tournaments. I think that Tomic is just burnt out and has to much money at a young age

His intelligence is very questionable, he is a guy that can’t put together two thoughts What a waste

He has the talent get off his back haters!!!

Abused by his father and traumatized for life 😢

COMEBACK TOMIC lets go! LOVE YOU

Needs a REAL JOB .

He could possibly make it, only if he drops his dad as a coach, and starts all over with a good Aussie coach!, who won't put up with any crap.

He doesn’t appear to take full ownership. Everything is someone else’s fault

I love how they always try and make the dad the bad guy even with the dramatic music they play in the back ground this brat would be nowhere without his dad

He let 10,000,000.00US turn him into a idiot.

He is a rich young person. He got more money then this old reporter. He got it better. She is nervous and ashamed

Not a big fan of him but I like his honesty

IF AN EXPERT IN BODY LANGUAGE WOULD MAKE SOME COMMENT FROM BOTH BERNARD & HIS FATHER'S POSTYRE,,,,,DURING THE 60 MIN INTERVIEW...................I DARE SAY.........THEY WOULD SAY BERNARD WAS SITTING UNEASY, WHOED EXREME ARROGANCE WITH HIS FACIAL EXPRESSION, & HANDS MOVEMENT......WHILE HIS FATHER WAS DYING TO OPEN HIS MOUTH NO MATTER WHAT..............HAHAHAHHA

Really sad...all the talent this guy has just going (or went) down the drain! Is it too late for Tomic to find him to find his way back? It'll be very tough. Unless this interview was edited, I do not think the interviewer was too tough on him. I found him cold, almost stoic.

This is like 7 years old 🤣

This is 7 years ago. Tomic now 31. Only has a few years left of tennis. Probably this year he lost money playing tennis.

The bloke has not improved since he was 16/18 and he cannot improve because he doesn't want to and no one wants to work with him. Now he's getting older and his career is likely over. Luckily for him injury has not ended his career.

he does not love to play tennis that says it all. he feels trapped but he has enough money to find his true passion or what else he wants to do. He is being destructive for a reason or two which he has not said anything about that. I think this was his fathers dream not his. Arrogant, talented, hotheaded all the above and he still not happy

He lacks empathy, emotional intelligence and humility, he was clearly pushed and pushed by his domineering father, which isnt great, although sometimes it can take this to hit the top (otherwise its burn out or rebellion). He should maybe marry and have kids, this will change him. At the end of the day, you are fully accountable for your actions.

The Goat