Bernard Tomic is one of the most misunderstood men under media scrutiny.
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The talented teen was plunged onto the national stage as a promising tennis player.
He was hailed as Australia’s next number one and grand slam hopeful. He was compared against the greats and was to be our answer for when Lleyton Hewitt retired.
We told him at the age of 14 that he was special. We gave him rockstar treatment. We read stories about him driving a car, spitting the dummy on court and his relationship with his father.
If he didn’t live up to our expectations on the court we let him know through scathing comments on social media.
Yes, his attitude has been disgraceful. But, did we have hand in causing his lack of passion for the game?
If we are going to tell someone they are hotshot and then they act like a hotshot – can we be mad?
In an interview with Seven’s Sunday Night, Tomic showed apathy towards tennis.
He said he was playing for money and not for the love of the game and that he felt “trapped” by the sport.
In response on Monday, Tennis Australia’s head of performance Wally Masur said support had been offered to Tomic.
He said Tomic had been a professional since the age of 14.
"At Tennis Australia, we've just implemented a well-being program because we're starting to understand that at some point, kids have just got to be kids and they've really got to enjoy the journey,” Masur said.
We often forget this fact. When most children are trying to convince their parents to go to the cinema without a chaperone, Tomic was training seven days a week.
Yes, he’s not a saint compared to the likes of Roger Federer. In his defence, Australia is known for its tall poppy syndrome. He’s also had to succeed and fail in the world of social media. And people are ruthless behind a keyboard.
The biggest disappointment in the story that is Tomic would be if he was to quit. If he was to give up tennis because of the public pressure over a game that he no longer enjoys.
Perhaps it’s time for us to give him a break and give him the space to hopefully fall back in love with a sport that has given him opportunities many of us can only dream about. Something has got to give. Will it be the critics or Tomic?
