‘We will find the truth in court’: Bernard Tomic’s father to take legal action against Lleyton Hewitt over confrontation that left his son ‘traumatised’ when he was a teenager
- John Tomic alleged that Hewitt left his son traumatised when he was 17 years old
- Tomic said Hewitt tried to pressure him into revealing who was ‘against’ him
- The father and son said they would prove the allegations of trauma in court
Bernard Tomic’s father claims his son will begin legal action against Lleyton Hewitt over an incident he alleges happened nine years ago.
The news follows the bitter war of words between Hewitt and Tomic that has raged all week at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
John Tomic alleged that Hewitt left his son traumatised when he was 17 following an incident in 2010 during a Davis Cup tie when threatened Bernard would not play the Davis Cup again if he didn’t reveal who in Tennis Australia was ‘against’ him.
Bernard Tomic’s father has made controversial claims his son (left) will begin legal action against Lleyton Hewitt (right) over an incident he alleges happened nine years ago. Pictured playing at the 2015 US Open
Tomic Senior (right) said Hewitt told his son (left) he would not play Davis Cup for Australia again unless he spoke up about TA
Bernard Tomic this week claimed none of the Australian players liked Hewitt with the two-time grand slam winner hitting back by accusing the Queenslander of threatening him and his family and trying to blackmail him.
‘Bernard said something on the television before that Lleyton didn’t like,’ Tomic senior told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘[Hewitt] came into Bernard’s room, closed the door and pushed [Davis Cup captain] John Fitzgerald out and he said, ‘You have to tell me who from TA is against me’.’
Tomic Senior said Hewitt was on crutches at the time and told his son he would not play Davis Cup for Australia again unless he spoke up about TA.
Bernard Tomic (above) this week claimed none of the Australian players liked Hewitt with the two-time grand slam winner hitting back by accusing the Queenslander of threatening him and his family and trying to blackmail him
John Tomic alleged that Hewitt (right) left his son (left) traumatised when he was 17 following an incident in 2010 during a Davis Cup tie
He further alleged that Hewitt tried to force his son to say something, pressuring him so much that he couldn’t sleep at night.
‘Bernard had made a comment at Melbourne Park that mentioned Lleyton Hewitt. That comment Lleyton didn’t like and he asked, “Who told you to say that?”
‘He was young … 16 and a half or 17. How can you come in the room and threaten him and say you won’t play Davis Cup and say you won’t be close to me if you don’t tell me who from Tennis Australia is telling you what to say?’
He said they would take legal action against Hewitt next week.
‘We will prove that Bernard has trauma from 2010 when Bernard was the youngest player in Davis Cup for Australia,’ he said.
‘They will try to protect him but we will find the truth in court.’
Hewitt’s manager David Drysdale said he knew nothing of the alleged 2010 episode.