Bernard Tomic feels "too much success" early in his career got to him, says there are "so many things" he regrets doing

In a recent interview with the Courier Mail, mercurial Australian Bernard Tomic spoke about his relationship with the media, his slide down the ATP rankings, and his plans for the rest of his career.

The Aussie, once considered one of the most promising players on the men's tour, climbed as high as No. 17 in the world, but currently finds himself ranked 254.

Tomic revealed that success at an early age got to his head, and that he struggled to cope with the life of a successful tennis player. The 29-year-old, who has courted controversy in the past for his remarks at press conferences, said he regretted some of the things he said to the media.

"I had too much success at a young age. Everything got to me. The travel, day in, day out tournaments. By age 25 I was tired and starting saying dumb s*** in the media," Tomic told the Courier Mail.

"There are so many things I should not have said, should not have done. But I did," he added.

Tomic reflected on one of his more controversial statements back in 2018 after he failed to qualify for the Australian Open. When asked by a journalist what his plans were, the Aussie sarcastically said he would be "counting his millions." Tomic also famously admitted that he was "bored" of playing tennis.

Tomic has now confessed he said all the "wrong" things at the time.

"I’d just lost and the media were like what are you up to now, where are you off to – and I’m like ‘I’m off to the locker room, what do you mean’," he said. "I said the wrong thing for sure. That’s something a kid would say."

I was ready to stop playing tennis before the 2021 Australian Open: Bernard Tomic

Bernard Tomic at the 2020 Australian Open

During the interview, Bernard Tomic revealed that he came close to quitting tennis prior to the 2021 Australian Open. The Australian admitted that winning a few matches rekindled the "fire" inside him.

"I was probably ready to stop (before the 2021 Australian Open)," Tomic said. "I don’t need money any more. But I started winning matches. I got a bit of fire going into me."

"The past couple of years have been my choice. But now it’s all about getting it right and having a good crack at the next five or six years and trying to get back to the top – I miss that sort of feeling," he added.

The Aussie also revealed that he will be "showcasing" his comeback on Instagram.

"(Will use Instagram to) Showcase the last crack. Try and make Australia proud. I’ve never really used social media. It’s a good thing. I’m happy I got into it," Bernard Tomic said.