After an absolute debacle of a first-round match in London, Aussie tennis brat Bernard Tomic's Wimbledon went from bad to worse. Photo / Getty Images.
After an absolute debacle of a first-round match in London, Aussie tennis brat Bernard Tomic's Wimbledon went from bad to worse. Photo / Getty Images.
Bernard Tomic's first round opponent, France's Jo Wilfried-Tsonga, says a decision by Wimbledon officials to pinch the Aussie's entire prize purse has devalued his own performance.
Tomic was slapped with an $81,000 fine after capitulating 6-2 6-1 6-4 in just 58 minutes — the second shortest men's singles match at the All England Club since records began in 2002.
While the strong stance was met with widespread approval in Australia where tennis fans have tired of Tomic's antics, Tsonga swerved.
"It's like what I did was not win. It's like I was just here and I just won because, they said, he didn't play enough," Tsonga said.
Nick Kyrgios went a step further, labelling the fine "outrageous". "I think it's a little rough, maybe all of the prize money," Kyrgios said.
"I mean, one, Tsonga is an unbelievable player. Two, I think people kind of when they watch Bernard, they just think because he moves a little slow, plays the game a little slower, he doesn't look maybe as engaged as, I don't know, say, a Carreno Busta or something. They just assume he's maybe not trying or giving 100 per cent.
"I don't agree with fining the guy all of his prize money. He earned his right to be in the draw. He played the whole year. He's obviously winning enough to be at the most prestigious tournament in the world. To take all his prize money I think is outrageous."
Women's star Sloane Stephens described the move as dangerous. "I could see if he lost 0, 0, 0, then that would be something. If he won four games," Stephens said.
"He played a 6-4 set. I think now if the tournaments are going to be their own judge and they're going to do that, then I can't say I'm 100 per cent on board.
"It's a very slippery slope, and when you start doing that and being the judge of what happens and how people earn a living, that's when it gets a little tricky."
New York Times tennis writer Ben Rothenberg was also in Tomic's corner. "You shouldn't get docked pay retroactively for unproductivity, that's not how any desk job works that I know of," he tweeted.
"If tennis wants to 'fire' Tomic, that's another question, but not paying him at all for his time is incredibly dicey turf to me.
"Winning seven games against Tsonga is by no means a poor enough performance to merit getting 0 per cent of your pay.
"Style points have never been a part of tennis. You either win or you lose. You get paid either way."
It won't be, but to me, this Tomic fine should be the strongest catalyst for a players union yet.
A body representing the players would never allow for a guy to do his job to completion and then have his pay left up to the tournament's subjective whims.#Wimbledon
English sports writer Oliver Brown, who blasted Tomic as "pathetic" after his defeat, said the punishment fit the crime after the "disgraceful display": "He was also whacked by a savage Tweet from Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan, which said: "Congrats Bernard Tomic, you absolute d***head Think of all the tennis players who would crave this opportunity … and you do this. Appalling. Go home & sulk there.""
Tomic has been stripped of his prizemoney because the tournament referee didn't believe his performance was up to grand slam standard.
"All players are expected to perform to a professional standard in every grand slam match. With respect to first round performance, if in the opinion of the referee the player did not perform to the required professional standard, the referee may determine that the player be subject to a fine of up to first round prize money," a statement read.
"It is the opinion of the referee that the performance of Bernard Tomic in his first round match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did not meet the required professional standards, and therefore he has been fined the maximum amount of £45,000 ($AUD80,629.20) which will be deducted from prize money."
Tomic has a history of tanking and his meek surrender to Tsonga — compounded by the maximum fine a player can receive in the first round — will cast the future of his career into further doubt as he battles sagging motivation levels.
After an absolute debacle of a first-round match in London, Aussie tennis brat Bernard Tomic's Wimbledon went from bad to worse. Photo / Getty Images.
Tomic was simply awful in his only appearance at Wimbledon this year, losing the first set in 18 minutes and the second in 17. He won more games in the third set than the first two combined but still couldn't stop Tsonga steamrollering him in 23 minutes to wrap up the match in under an hour.
The English press had a field day mocking the former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, but Aussie tennis great Todd Woodbridge wasn't laughing.
The former Wimbledon doubles champion extraordinarily dismissed Tomic during a live cross on Channel 9's Today this week, taking just six seconds to talk about the 26-year-old before wanting to move on to talk about Aussies deserving of media attention.
"Yeah, we're over it, let's not talk about him," Woodbridge said.
"I think for Bernard, he was going along great, wasn't he, but I think we've all moved on from him, we've got other exciting talents that we can focus on here."
Speaking on Fox Sports' The Daily Serve, former women's World No. 1 Kim Clijsters said it was staggering that a first round loser would get that much prizemoney.
"I was surprised that it was that much for first prizemoney but not surprised," she said.
"It's good they've set the bar a bit higher so hopefully it will motivate him in the future to try harder and not let it happen again."
Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker said it would be a "painful lesson" for Tomic.
"I wish Bernard no harm — I've worked with him many times," Becker said. "On a good day, he's a fun guy to work with, on a bad day he's the opposite. We've been talking about it for a long time and I think it's the right decision by Wimbledon to set the standard because now he knows he's being watched and if he does it again, he'll lose his prizemoney again. It's a painful lesson, it's an expensive lesson but it's the right thing to do."
If his on-court showing against Tsonga was bad, Tomic's performance at his post-match press conference was even worse. He refused to answer several questions and when he did respond, speaking for more than five seconds wasn't an option.
Slumped back in his chair and rubbing his face with his hands, Tomic gave the impression of someone who wanted to be anywhere in the world but behind the desk he was sitting at.
The Queenslander said he played "terrible" and couldn't handle Tsonga's serve. Asked if he was happy with the effort he put in, Tomic simply said: "Next question."
Pressed on whether he was expecting to lose prizemoney for a lack of effort, he remained mute.
Tomic also said he "doesn't know" if he would like to have more consistency in his performances and finished his disgruntled appearance in front of a dozen members of the media in just two-and-a-half minutes.
Steve Johnson bt Alex de Minaur 3-6 7-6 6-3 3-6 6-3, John Millman bt Laslo Djere 6-3 6-2 6-1, Roger Federer bt Jay Clarke 6-1 7-6 6-2, Kei Nishikori bt Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-4 6-0
