Benji Marshall sends a message of support to Bernard Tomic. Photo / Getty
Benji Marshall sends a message of support to Bernard Tomic. Photo / Getty
Kiwi rugby league star Benji Marshall has reached out to Bernard Tomic after the troubled tennis star pulled out of a reality TV show, revealing his battle with depression.
The troubled tennis player brought his stint on Channel 10's I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here to an early end after he revealed his time in the jungle had brought focus to his battle with depression.
On Wednesday, Marshall said he "felt sorry" for Tomic while addressing the topic of depression in sport.
"I actually feel really sorry for him after watching it, obviously I'm talking about having depression and being in the spotlight," he said in a video on 20FOUR.
"'I don't know Bernard, but I'm always here to talk.
"We need to get around our athletes and help out were we can, and to all the people around Bernard hopefully he has that support because times do get tough in the spotlight, even I've been there."
Tomic revealed to fellow contestant Jackie Gillies that "half the time during the day he was depressed" and that he "never really had time to think about his thoughts".
Bernard Tomic decided to leave the show after realising he wanted to return to professional tennis. Photo / Getty
"Everything's slowed down in the last few days. I don't want to spend half my time depressed here ... thinking about how I played last year and where I should be," said Tomic.
"He's definitely in a strange place. I think a lot of people tuned into TV the last few nights just to see where he's at ... he's not in a good place," Groth told Melbourne radio station SEN.
"I think he's got some deep-seated issues that he needs to talk to someone with. Whatever he's struggling with right now, I don't know if coming back on the tennis court is really going to help."
Meanwhile, many other athletes have been unsympathetic to Tomic - including AFL star and former contestant on the show Dane Swan.
Ya got millions Tomic so while your busy counting it all when you get back home how’s bout you donate 10k to your charity that have missed out on much needed $$$. You won’t miss it. That’s all, jog on now bud
Swan was one of a number of sports figures to point out Tomic was letting down his chosen charity, Ronald McDonald House, by failing to stay in South Africa and battle for a $100,000 prize, news.com.au reported.
"Ya got millions Tomic so while your (sic) busy counting it all when you get back home how's bout you donate 10k to your charity that have missed out on much needed $$$" Swan tweeted.
"You won't miss it. That's all, jog on now bud."
Basketball star Andrew Bogut shared Swan's lack of sympathy, floating a conspiracy that Tomic's short appearance in the jungle was an orchestrated ploy by Channel 10.
