Bernard Tomic hits a new low as he’s chucked out of tennis tournament for shocking act – and he wasn’t even playing
Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic is in hot water again after he was ejected from a tournament after allegedly challenging a fierce rival from the stands.
The former world number 17 was in attendance at the ATP Challenger final in the Dominican Republic, where he cheered on his good friend Damir Dzumhur against Ecuador’s Andres Andrade.
The Ecuadorian defeated Tomic in three sets in the quarter-finals last week, but the Australian reportedly refused to shake his opponent’s hand at the net after the match ended.
Tomic was present at the final undercover match on Sunday night and is said to have switched chairs to challenge and distract Andrade on the court.
Footage emerged of tournament organizers sending Tomic onto the court early in the second set. After Dzumhur had won the first set, the score was 1-1.
Wearing sunglasses and a hat, Tomic tried in vain to plead his case while sitting in the front row.
The stunned crowd watched and could be heard as Tomic was escorted from the venue, surrounded by security.
Earlier in the match, Tomic was also said to have interfered when Andrade got into an argument with the referee and a match official.
Bernard Tomic (pictured with his girlfriend Keeley) is back in the news after
The controversy overshadowed Dzumhur’s tournament win, in which he defeated Andrade in three sets.
Tomic’s bizarre actions sparked anger among tennis experts and fans.
“I have no words,” commentator Jose Morgado tweeted.
A fan added: ‘This is insane. Tomic lost to Andrade in the quarterfinals and got a bit cheeky. Andrade went all the way to the final and Bernard Tomic went undercover in the crowd to laugh at him and cheer him on.’
Some fans demanded that Tomic be punished.
“What is an appropriate punishment for this? Surely it is more than mandatory counseling at this stage of his career,” one person wrote.
The crowd erupted in anger when Tomic (wearing a hat and blue shirt) was ejected from the final of the ATP Challenger in the Dominican Republic
The Australian tennis bad boy is currently ranked 247th in the world
Tomic has been competing on the Challengers circuit for years to revive his fading tennis career.
Tomic was once ranked 17th in the world, but has been out of the top 100 since August 2019 and has dropped to 825th in the world in 2022.
The 31-year-old is well on his way to climbing the rankings again and is currently ranked 247th in the world.
In June, he withdrew mid-match from an ATP Challengers event after a bizarre on-court altercation with his girlfriend Keely Hannah.