"I could've won a Grand Slam, but there are 20 people who can say the same" - Bernard Tomic on competing in the 'toughest decade' in tennis history

Bernard Tomic recently spoke about his career aspirations. The Aussie, who is currently competing at the M25 ITF event in Chennai, believes he could've won a Major title with the right approach.

Tomic was one of the first 1990s-born players to announce himself on the men's tour, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon at the age of 18. While fans expected a lot from the talented Aussie, his fleeting professionalism and off-court issues always held him back.

Speaking to an Indian daily, Bernard Tomic asserted that becoming a Grand Slam titlist was a realistic possibility in his prime, had he gotten "a few things right". The 31-year-old did concede, however, that the men's field that came up in the 2010s was so strong that at least 20 players had a plausible shot at winning a Major.

"I was in the good block for 6-7 years. If I was professional, if I did everything right, I could have won a Grand Slam but didn’t. But there are 20 other people who can say the same thing about them," Bernard Tomic said to Sportstar. "This is the toughest decade in the history of tennis."

Apart from his 2011 last-eight run at SW19, Tomic's best results at a Major tournament include three fourth-round finishes in Melbourne (2012, 2015, 2017) and two Wimbledon second-week appearances (2013, 2016). He also reached a career-high ATP ranking of 17 in 2016.

"I will try to get to the top 100, top 50 one more time" - Bernard Tomic

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Bernard Tomic was also asked whether he enjoyed playing on the Challenger circuit after being an ATP tour mainstay for several years. In response, the Aussie insisted that he had come to terms with his past, before stating that he wanted to break into the men's top 50 again in the future.

"Everyone has a different journey. You can’t control destiny. You learn to respect life and the little things," Tomic said. "If I did the right things at 20-24, I was not very professional. I worked extremely hard, but if I had done a few things right, who knows."

"Maybe, I could have top 10, top 8. But it’s okay. There are other things to look at. I am okay now. I will try to get to the top 100, top 50 one more time,” he added.

Tomic, meanwhile, is currently ranked 290th in the world. The Aussie will be playing a series of Challenger and Future events in India over the next few weeks.