A tumultuous tennis season that began with such promise for Bernard Tomic has ended in a fourth consecutive first round exit.
But Tomic can take credit after battling through qualifying to get into the Paris Masters then bowing out only after a tight three-set struggle with Spain’s world No.29 Feliciano Lopez – 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-1) – on Monday.
For Tomic, who turned 21 last week, it was his 11th first-round departure from his 23 tournaments in 2013 and his vow to announce a new coach in the near future can’t come soon enough.
Tomic, ranked No.55 after a career-high of 27 last June, gave every indication 2013 would be a breakout year in January as he beat South African Kevin Anderson in the final of the Sydney International to claim his maiden ATP Tour title.
His good form continued at the Australian Open, taking his year streak to 10 consecutive match wins until an unlucky draw had Roger Federer end his campaign in the third round.
Fitter than ever after a solid pre-season and buoyed by the support from his home country, he went on to reach the quarterfinals at the ATP event in Marseille a month later – but that’s when the cracks began show, Tomic failing to convert five match points and losing to Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
However, all was not well behind the scenes in the Tomic camp.
It erupted in May, when his father and coach John was arrested for allegedly headbutting his son’s practice partner Frenchman Thomas Drouet in Madrid and was subsequently suspended indefinitely from the ATP Tour.
Days later, Tomic withdrew from the Italian Open. Injury and illness retirements then became somewhat habitual – beginning with the French Open in round one and then again at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon seemed to bring out the fight in Tomic, overcoming a tough few months to reach the last 16 before being undone by Czech star Tomas Berdych.
But he couldn’t back that up at the US Open, losing in the second round for the third year in a row at Flushing Meadows.
Despite his grim ATP Tour form, Davis Cup – not always a strong suit – brought out the best in Tomic in 2013 as he combined with captain Pat Rafter and stalwart Lleyton Hewitt to get Australia back into the elite World Group for the first time in years.
But Tomic admitted he struggled with not having his father at tournaments, insisting Tomic Snr “will always be my coach”.
He is set to remain without paternal courtside support until at least next May, when the ATP are set to review his dad’s ban after he was found guilty of assault by a Spanish court last month.
In the meantime the tennis world waits to learn who Tomic has found to serve as his new coach and how Tomic Snr will fit into the picture.
