In an extensive diary published by news.com.au, Thomas Drouet, a former hitting partner for Bernard Tomic, details the assault he suffered at the hands of John Tomic, Bernard's father and coach.
Drouet says John Tomic spit in his face and then head-butted him, the culmination of seven months of abuse.
Among the incidents Drouet discusses:
- “We arrive in New York, Bernard doesn't have the right visa... We miss our connecting flight… Bernard tells us that we can sleep at the airport, that he has booked a hotel in New York and he is going to have a party with his mates. Physio [Salvador Sosa] and I are stupefied as we are left to sleep on a chair all night.”
* “Bernard is supposed to train with Kei Nishikori but turns it into a scandal. He doesn't want to play with him, so he tanks it. They are doing this practice to find their rhythm, but Bernard just whacks it back, and he loses 6-1 in 10 minutes. Nishikori is really pissed off. His coach tells me after we will never want to play with him again. Bernard doesn't like to practice with other tournament players.”
* “I think 80 percent of his defeats are either by abandonment (he gives up) or by injury, his nickname is tank machine.”
* “John says that practice is over and tells me to put my rackets in the bag. Bernard tells me to stay but John again tells me practice is over. I'm standing there not sure what to do. John tells Bernard if he doesn't want to listen then he will not play. Bernard comes to the net and John is screaming at him and Bernard answers back and tells him again to sit on the bench and not talk. John is furious and then — pow! One punch. .. Bernard doesn't say anything but has tears in his eyes. John walks away and rests two rackets on an angle against the wall then snaps his foot down on them breaking them. Crack, crack — breaks both rackets and tells Bernard that he doesn't play tournaments now for three weeks and tells me to cancel all the flight tickets. Bernard sees this and then breaks his racket. My God, these people, it's crazy.”
* “[There is] a scandal at the airport and everyone is shocked by John as he starts again screaming at me and saying he is cancelling my ticket. After 10 minutes I go back to the car but I want to say to John what I think of him to him. We finally take off but John starts again verbally abusing me on the plane. It's incredible.' Okay we will sort this out physically in Madrid because you won't be in your country this time and we will see if you are that clever and outspoken,'" he says to me.
“We make our way to the hotel in central Madrid. In front of the hotel John asks me to put my bag down and to follow him outside. We walk to the side of the hotel. I thought he was going to say sorry for the verbal abuse. He looks around all the time which I think is weird. There is no one around. He tells me 'Tell me again what you said this morning.' I tell him again about how he thinks he is such a 'big man, a real man but okay John that's fine Bernard will pay me to be his partner.' He spits in my face. I wipe the spit away as he walks away and I tell him again what a big man he is and he suddenly turns and head butts me. I remember yelling help as I fall.”
* “John is suspended for at least a year by the ATP from attending future tournaments. Bernard tells me he is unhappy with the ATP's decision and that the ATP should protect him. I think I am completely imagining this and ask him if he realizes what his father has done. He has already forgotten that a month and a half ago I was laying on the ground in Madrid unconscious and covered in blood because of his father? He apologizes once more for what his father has done, but tells me it's his father and he loves him. I tell him 'OK you are allowed to love your father but at least admit to his mistakes.' He agrees.”