Bernard Tomic isolating with Covid just days after THAT courtside rant where he declared ‘I’ll buy you dinner if I don’t test positive in three days’
- Washed-up tennis star Tomic predicted he would have Covid after losing
- It turned out to not just be an excuse, it was true and he tested positive
- Tomic says he feels worse mentally than physically from having the virus
- He lost to Russia’s Roman Safiullin in 57 minutes in Australian Open qualifying
- Formerly ranked world No.17, the Australian’s career seems to be in free-fall
Bernard Tomic has been proven right days after he claimed that he would test positive for Covid-19 after being dumped out of the Australian Open in a qualifying match.
Tomic was trounced 6-1 6-4 by Russian Roman Safiullin – ranked No.146 in the world – on Tuesday, but his Covid claim has turned out not to be an excuse, it was true.
On Wednesday, Tomic was isolating in his hotel room and posted that he was ‘feeling really sick, I’m now back in my hotel room’.
Tomic, 29, felt certain he would test positive to Covid within three days after his typically bizarre and uncompetitive start to what was meant to be his comeback tournament.
During a match Aussie tennis star Bernard Tomic (pictured left with his girlfriend Keely Hannah) told the umpire he would test positive to Covid ‘in the next three days’ before losing in less than an hour
Sporting a peroxide blond hairstyle, the new-look Tomic dished up his usual antics on Melbourne’s Kia Arena on Tuesday in his match against Safiullin.
But he lost in just 57 minutes.
Trailing 1-2 in the second set, Tomic told chair umpire Aline Da Rocha Nocinto at the change-over he believed he’s soon test positive to the virus.
‘I’m sure in the next two days I will test positive, I’m telling you,’ the 29-year-old said from his chair.
‘I’ll buy you dinner if I don’t test positive in three days, otherwise you buy me dinner.’
Tomic told her he couldn’t believe there was no official PCR testing for players, with only a rapid test required.
His opponent, rising Russian star Roman Safiullin (above), defeated Tomin 6-1 6-4 in just 57 minutes
Tomic told the umpire he would ‘buy her dinner’ if his Covid test results came back as negative
Tomic’s girlfriend Keely Hannah (centre) watched from the grandstand as he lost the game
‘They’re allowing players to come on court with rapid tests in their room, c’mon … no official PCR testing,’ he said.
A lethargic Tomic was seen by the trainer at the first changeover in the opening set and was seen taking his pulse while out on court.
The 29-year-old was broken in the fourth game and quickly capitulated, losing the first set in just 23 minutes.
Tomic (pictured) also complained to the umpire that there was no official PCR testing for players, with only a rapid test required
The loss marks the former world number 17’s fifth consecutive loss as his rank drops to 257
The former world No.17, now ranked 257, hadn’t played in an ATP tournament since September, when he retired in the first round of a qualifier event in Kazakhstan.
That loss was his fifth in a row but he arrived in Melbourne vowing to again climb the rankings.
Safiullin, 24, was an unlikely star in Russia’s run to the ATP Cup semi-finals last week.
Another Australian, Nick Kyrgios, had to withdraw from the Sydney Tennis Classic after he contracted Covid-19.
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