Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has clapped back at Bernard Tomic after the tennis badboy claimed ‘no one likes him anymore’.
‘It is Bernie being Bernie and losing and going on and complaining about a few things,’ Hewitt told the Nine Network.
‘The disappointing thing that the Aussies men and women had a great day and it was overshadowed by Bernard Tomic. He threw a couple under the bus.’
Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt (pictured) has clapped back at Bernard Tomic after the tennis badboy claimed ‘no one likes him anymore’
Hewitt’s reaction follows on from Bernard Tomic’s (pictured) explosive outburst during a press conference on Monday night
Hewitt’s reaction follows on from the tennis badboy’s explosive outburst during a press conference on Monday night.
Tomic took to the floor and questioned Hewitt’s motives for captaining the Davis Cup team.
‘It’s all Lleyton. I’m going to say it honestly – no one likes him anymore,’ Tomic said.
To add further fuel to the fire, Tomic claimed other players like Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis no longer wanted to play the Davis Cup under Hewitt.
Though Hewitt denied there were any rifts in the tennis community and said he would stay on as captain ahead of Australia’s qualifying tie next month against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
‘I don’t think that there is a rift,’ Hewitt said.
‘There is always communication going on with captain, coach and players and leading into the next tie that will all happen but those boys are going on with big matches today.’
Despite outrage from former pros and fans alike after Tomic’s comments, the 26-year-old stood his ground on Tuesday morning.
He told The Herald Sun: ‘I said the right thing, I stand by my comments. A lot of people messaged me to say “well said”.’
In the conference last night, Tomic said of Hewitt: ‘He’s just doing the wrong thing. He’s playing Davis Cup – I thought he was retired. He’s playing all these matches and stuff like this.
‘You know what I mean? He used to hate Tennis Australia. It’s weird. And now he loves them. What’s happened here?
Tomic accused the 2005 Australian Open runner-up of dividing Australia’s playing ranks.
‘We have a lot of issues that not a lot of players are happy about. We all know who those players are. Myself, (Thanasi) Kokkinakis, (Nick) Kyrgios,’ Tomic said.
‘I hope he can get moved and we can go back to having a good captain. Go away. Like, literally. If you’ve retired, why are you still in tennis?’
Bernard Tomic and Lleyton Hewitt are pictured celebrating after winning the second match during the Davis Cup match between Poland and Australia in 2013
The outspoken star then took the explosive allegations a step further by accusing Hewitt of promoting Australian talent for his own personal financial gain.
‘All these guys that got wildcards are under a system … Polmans, Bolty, Jordan Thompson,’ Tomic said
‘They’re all under Lleyton’s wing under the management company. It’s all conflict of interest. And then he’s in Davis Cup and he’s doing the wrong thing and everyone’s leaving.’
While describing Hewitt as an unbelievable champion, Tomic said it was time for a new Australian Davis Cup captain.
‘Lleyton’s legacy and his tennis speaks for itself. But what he’s doing now is wrong, ‘ he said.
‘I hope he gets moved and we can go back to having a good captain.’
His short press conference was then brought to an abrupt end by a tournament official.
‘Have fun with that,’ Tomic told reporters as he left.
Bernard Tomic crashed out of the Australian Open in the first round on Monday night
Relations between Tomic and Lleyton Hewitt (pictured) have been frosty for some time
Fans weren’t sympathetic to Tomic on social media.
‘Bernard Tomic trying to out-flog himself. Dimwit would be lucky to have 1/128th of the heart and determination that Lleyton has. Primadonna, know your role and shut your mouth,’ one tweeted.
Another added: ‘Bernard Tomic you need to stop deflecting blame for your mistakes and your misgivings. The situation you find yourself in now is entirely your own fault. Not Lleyton Hewitt’s, not Tennis Australia’s. No one likes you anymore if we are being honest.’
Todd Woodbridge, a Wimbledon semi-finalist who commentates for Channel Nine, today said Tomic was trying to deflect from his shocking performance which saw him lose in straight sets to sixth seed Marin Cilic.
Woodbridge (pictured at Wimbledon in 2008), a Wimbledon semi-finalist who commentates for Channel Nine, today said Tomic was trying to deflect from his shocking performance
‘One of the most disappointing things here is it’s become his habit of deflecting a loss and deflecting what work he does to try to get better as a tennis player,’ Woodbridge told 3AW Radio.
‘Lleyton copped it last night. The last one that copped it, at Wimbledon a couple of years ago, was Pat Rafter.’
Woodbridge, 47, said it was unfair for Tomic to blame people who have put significant time and effort into helping him.
‘Now, I’ve been in spaces in development that have been around Bernie and I can promise you that myself, Pat Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt – who have all got a wealth of experience in this game, both as players and dealing with media and trying to help our next generation – have given him enormous amounts of our personal time.
‘I’ve been away from my family and kids, as Pat Rafter did, as Lleyton Hewitt has, to enhance Bernard’s career. So it’s time he actually used some of the things that we’ve given him, the tools, and try to just get his tennis back on track.
‘Last night was a poor attempt to deflect that he hasn’t been doing that.’
It’s not the first time Tomic has lashed out at Hewitt.
Tomic hit back with strong words after Hewitt revealed 12 months ago it was ‘highly doubtful’ Tomic represent his country in the Davis Cup again.
‘I don’t care what Lleyton said, I never lost to him,’ Tomic told The Project in February last year following a short lived stint on reality show I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.
‘Yeah, I’m not happy with that whole sort of situation there with Tennis Australia until that sort of clears and until a few of the problems come out.’
‘We have a lot of issues that not a lot of players are happy about,’ Tomic said after the match