- Bernard Tomic failed to qualify for the Australian Open after a defeat by Sonego
- The unknown Italian player edged out Tomic in a hard three-set match on Sunday
- Tomic has responded by boasting about his wealth, saying, ‘I just count money’
- Rumours that he will be leaving the court in favour of reality TV are now swirling
Bernard Tomic has crashed out of the Australian Open qualifiers in spectacular style, but found the energy to boast to reporters about his wealth in a trademark arrogant post-match interview.
The 25-year-old was particularly blunt to reporters after losing to unknown Italian player Lorenzo Sonego, who is ranked 281th in the world.
‘I just count money, that’s all I do. I count my millions,’ he said. ‘You go do what I did (on court). Bye bye.’
Bernard Tomic looked shattered after a three-match defeat by Italian player Lorenzo Sonego
Tomic (left) looked drained after the taxing loss to Sonego (right) on Sunday at Melbourne Park
Italian tennis player Lorenzo Sonego celebrates after defeating a tired-looking Bernard Tomic
Tomic looked shattered after the 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 defeat on Sunday, often not even moving to return serves in an often-punishing first set.
While Sonego will now go on to contest the main draw for the first time in his career, Tomic hasn’t won a grand slam-level game since last year’s Australian Open.
His crass comments about money echo the remarks he made after his loss at Wimbledon last year, when he boasted, ‘You probably don’t like me but, at only 24, you guys can only dream about having what I have.
‘End of the day, don’t like me or whatever. Just go back dreaming about your dream car or house while I go buy them.
Tomic, the world current number 142, will further slump in the ATP rankings as he will lose his points earned from a third-round appearance at Melbourne Park last year.
With his ranking now dropping in about 170th in the world, the Herald Sun has hinted that his next step may not be onto the tennis court.
The publication has interpreted Channel 10’s announcement that ‘a tennis star’ will ‘reach breaking point’ on the next season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.
However, Tomic has denied the rumours, despite the fact that he reportedly ‘bragged to colleagues he had been offered more than $1 million to appear in the show’.
Rumours are swirling that Tomic is set to join Ten’s show ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Bernard Tomic faces an uncertain future after not winning a grand slam-level game for a year
But the Ten network described the rumoured payments as ‘grossly over-inflated and simply false.’
‘Network Ten does not confirm or deny any speculation about the identities of celebrities for the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!,’ a Network Ten spokesperson said.
‘However, recent press speculation regarding rumoured celebrity payments are grossly over-inflated and simply false.’