Why I want to see Bernard Tomic make his Grand Slam return

(Getty/Zhizhao Wu)

Bernard Tomic is one of the most polarising players in Australian tennis history, but for some reason, I can't help rooting for him.

Yes, he has endured his fair share of controversy over the years, whether it be his counting millions quotes or barbs at the hierarchy of the sport to bring the focus away from on-court results, but let's be honest, they have been nonexistent for a while now.

It is hard to believe that 14 years have passed since his incredible run to the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-final, and seven years since his last ATP title in Chengdu, with the Queenslander now at 33 in the latter stages of his career.

But I can't help but think that he has been misunderstood for all of these years, and whether more may have been at play that we are unaware of. 

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It is speculation, I know, but if you look back at his successful early years throughout the 2010s, the public adored him, and he was sensational with the media making quips about Pokémon cards and seemingly holding himself in good stead.

I had an encounter with him underneath Rod Laver Arena this year while speaking to someone we both knew throughout qualifying at the Australian Open.

He came out of the locker room, and while he greeted this person, he stopped and looked at me, putting his hand out warmly and said: "I'm Bernard, nice to meet you."

I was then made to feel included in the very brief conversation, and then we all went our separate ways. He was warm, genuine and polite, while the way he described his loss was hilarious and humble.

Dane Sweeny has recently echoed those sorts of sentiments following their clash in Queensland last week.

"He never says a bad word about anyone. He's actually a really good guy and has a really kid heart," Sweeny said.

Yes, there was the well-documented slide that occurred, with scandal after scandal, 28-minute losses, articles galore, feuds, potshots, and an OnlyFans video all sweeping the headlines, bringing his career into further turmoil.

Throughout what seemed to be a tumultuous 20s for Tomic, he has revealed in recent years about mental health struggles due to mental exhaustion, isolation and a desire to get away from the court because he fell out of love with the sport.

I genuinely thought we had seen the last of him at Grand Slam level in 2021 after his defeat to Denis Shapovalov in the second round, with his ranking slide seeing him languish in the doldrums at No.813 in August 2022.

However, away from the spotlight and in the far corners of the ITF Futures and Challenger Tour, the Gold Coast product has been grinding away to get back to the top 200.

Unlike Nick Kyrgios, Tomic is taking the quiet and respectable approach, flying to the likes of Rwanda, New Caledonia, Dominican Republic, India and Thailand to put himself in the best possible position to mount a challenge for the top 100 once more.

Since 2022, he has reached 12 finals across the ITF and Challengers combined, winning five of those and edging his stocks higher.

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One doesn't do that if they aren't hungry and willing for one last opportunity to dazzle some of the biggest courts in tennis, and let's not forget, he has given us some pretty incredible memories.

That five-set win over his rival Alexandr Dolgopolov at the 2012 Australian Open, as well as his earlier comeback from two sets to love down against Fernando Verdasco.

Titles in Sydney, Colombia and Chengdu, boasting a 17-4 record in Davis Cup rubbers and runs to the second week at majors, made the crowds fall in love with this once teenage prodigy, who achieved a career high ranking of No.17 just nine years ago.

It is easy to tell that he is fighting for one last chance, and I hope he gets it. Seeing his name among the 128 at Melbourne Park in January might just be the finest moment of his career.

But I implore the tabloids to report honestly and avoid the clickbait, because it is unfair to drive negativity to someone who is doing everything in his power to avoid it.

All we can do now is watch and see if his wish to reach the top 100 again will come true, and I will be supporting him all the way.

People deserve second, third or even more chances if their actions speak louder than words, and their actions are consistent as they have been with Tomic since 2022.

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