Bernard Tomic makes ATP Challenger history for all the wrong reasons 10 years after registering similar feat on ATP Tour

Bernard Tomic has made yet another embarrassing record through his latest loss (Source: Getty)
Bernard Tomic has made yet another embarrassing record through his latest loss (Source: Getty)

Controversial Australian Bernard Tomic has made history on the ATP Challenger circuit. The 31-year-old lost the final of the Taube - Grossman Pro Tennis Tournament in Fairfield in just 39 minutes; the quickest ATP Challenger-level final loss. This development comes ten years after he lost his first-round match at the prestigious Miami Open in only 28 minutes; the quickest loss in the history of the ATP Tour.

Tomic, a talented but temperamental player, reached a career-high ranking of World No. 17 in 2016. However, his stay in the elite of the ATP Tour was short-lived, primarily due to his seemingly uncaring attitude towards tennis. More often than not, Tomic has been nonchalant, even during matches at the most prestigious events in the sport. The Australian has frequently been accused of 'tanking' matches out of boredom.

Recently, the 31-year-old reached the final of the Taube - Grossman Pro Tennis Tournament in Fairfield. However, his woeful display in the tournament's last hurdle resulted in an embarrassing 0-6, 1-6 loss to home favorite Learner Tien. Tomic produced six double faults and only won 41% of his first serves, while Tien's first-serve win percentage stood at 78%.

It took Learner Tien only 39 minutes to get the better of Bernard Tomic; an ATP Challenger final record. This latest low for the Australian comes almost a decade after his record ATP Tour loss to Jarkko Nieminen. Tomic's 0-6, 1-6 defeat back then took just 28 minutes.

Tomic has found himself in the news for several inappropriate reasons in the past. Earlier this year, Andres Andrade, an Ecuadorian player, revealed how the Australian had taunted him over their respective financial health during an ATP Challenger-level final.

"You're a cheater, you're a bad person" - Bernard Tomic's outburst was recalled by Andres Andrade

Bernard Tomic (Source: Getty)
Bernard Tomic (Source: Getty)

In August 2024, Bernard Tomic's bad behavior during an ATP Challenger-level final saw the Australian being removed from the court. Remarkably, Tomic himself was not a part of the final but was present courtside, from where he reportedly provoked and threatened Ecuadorian Andes Andrade.

The Australian's poor conduct was later reported by Luis Fernando Amador, a close friend of Andrade who was also present at the final.

"I met Andy (Andrade) after the match and he said ‘Tomic is crazy. In the locker room he started insulting me and saying worse things than what he said on the court. After the match, Tomic began to insult him in English and told Andy ‘you’re a cheater, you’re a bad person. Now that you’re into the semi-finals you’re going to have seven thousand dollars… I have 700 thousand'; then he warned that he was going to arrive at the next match with 30 people," Amador said.

Right now, Bernard Tomic finds himself ranked at a lowly World No. 207. Also, the Australian is yet to feature in an ATP Tour-level event this year.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer
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