Fallen Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic has addressed the police investigation into alleged match-fixing involving two of his matches at the Australian Open.
Now 32, Tomic is competing at the Brisbane Challenger, far from his glory days when he reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2011. Once a promising talent, the two-time junior Grand Slam winner now sits at world No. 220 but remains hopeful of returning to the ATP top 100 by the end of the year.
When asked about the police investigation into his alleged involvement in match-fixing, Tomic was tight-lipped. “I’m not gonna comment about that,” he said, referring to the probe into two matches from 2021 and 2022. “Tennis keeps me alive, keeps me sane, gives me something to do. Without tennis, you lose your purpose.”
He added that finishing the year in the top 100 would be a great accomplishment but acknowledged the challenges ahead. “A lot has changed in tennis – my expectations can’t be too high. I have to be realistic.”
Reports earlier this month revealed that Tomic’s phone had been seized as part of a broader investigation into suspicious betting on two of his matches. One of the matches under investigation was his 6-1, 6-4 loss to Russian Roman Safiullin during the 2022 Australian Open qualifying, and the other was a 6-0, 6-1 defeat to France’s Quentin Halys in Turkey in late 2021.
Though the investigation was led by New South Wales Police, Tomic was not charged, and there is no suggestion of criminal conduct. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) also reportedly conducted a separate probe into the matter. Tomic has yet to face any charges, and authorities have not confirmed he is the subject of an ongoing investigation.
Tomic first rose to prominence in 2009 when, at just 16, he became the youngest player to win a men’s main-draw match at the Australian Open. His career saw further highs, including a run to the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finals. However, his subsequent career has been marred by inconsistency, with Tomic earning just over $100,000 last year through Challenger and Future events.
