He’s one of the most controversial characters in tennis, seen as the bad boy of the sport, but Bernard Tomic swears he’s been unfairly judged.
In an interview with 60 Minutes tonight, the tennis star – who has been embroiled in a bitter feud with Lleyton Hewitt throughout this year’s Australian Open – has attempted to set the record straight on their tense relationship.
The feud was thrust into the spotlight when Tomic criticised Hewitt in a fiery press conference following his first round loss to Croatia’s Marin Cilic.
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Tomic is not believable. I work with people with autism and challenging behaviour. I do a lot of temp and emergency work. When I meet people I need to make quick assessments and I tend to use a 2 or 3 way grid - intelligence, strength of autism, background. I then observe and adjust as required. I've never met Tomic but I've had plenty of time to watch him via TV. That's an artificial situation in general but some things stand out. My theory on Tomic is that he isn't super bright and also had at least one abusive/controlling parent while growing up. He behaves like he is acting this out with no major self-awareness. He's had a measure of success which tends to reinforce and normalize aspects of behaviour that might otherwise result in being shunned. Perhaps he is somewhere down the ADD end of the specturm also... it would fit. Some people like that tend to go around and around in their heads on perceived slights and can't let things go.
He and Hewitt both have a history of fiery behaviour on the court but Hewitt was more about gee-ing himself up and is relatively level headed off the court. He wouldn't be in his role otherwise.
We lost an old friend's mother a few years ago. She was a life long tennis fan, glued to the TV and travelling interstate sometimes to catch games. She had no time for nonsense but she swam against the tide among her friends and family of supporting Hewitt. She saw through the "cummon" stuff and saw a real trier - something worth respecting.
Anyway, none of us were in the various places and I doubt every word Hewitt said was professional. A player-captain is half way between a friend and boss and their experience is what makes them useful in that role. Who knows? Maybe Hewitt is a monster behind the scenes. I doubt it though. I really doubt it. Most likely, as is often the case, when someone like Tomic is throwing accusations around, they're picking an easy target when there is someone else, like a parent, who they are really talking about but are too scared to actually tell.
I know this is a rambling pop psychology rant in some ways - anyone want to hear my theory on Donald Trump? Lol. I'd put a lazy tenner on Tomic being wrong about this though.
I like this comment through its ramblings.
My analysis of him is and has always been that he was never allowed a childhood. He was forced to play tennis because he was good at it and his earnings helped the family. He is still a brat because he never got the chance to be taught through good discipline, regular schooling and being rebuked by his peers that his attitude wasnt acceptable.
Ugh. BT just needs to shut up and be abetter tennis play/human. His over inflated ego is showing and I'm embarrassed for him.