Bernard Tomic says he is ready to shed his bad-boy image and concentrate on tennis following an up-and-down season that has seen him drop to No. 56 in the world.
The 22-year-old Australian, who underwent double hip surgery following the Australian Open, has repeatedly been in the news over the past few years for his off-court activity, including wild parties, speeding in his car, and run-ins with the police. He now insists those days are behind him.
“All that other stuff is in the past,” Tomic told *The Courier-Mail*. “It was all when I was 18-19 years old. I had a lot of stuff thrown my way—money, girls.
“It’s very easy to get distracted but now the job is to play tennis and do the job as good as I can.”
Tomic won the Bogota tournament and reached the semifinals of Vienna this season, and the former prodigy wants to show that form regularly as he attempts to get the next level.
"I’m 22, now is the time for maturity," he said. "I have to focus as much as I can on tennis and do the best I can for the next seven or eight years."
Tomic is once again being coached by his controversial father, John, who was recently suspended from the tour after an incident in which he head-butted his son’s practice partner. Bernard decided not to keep working with Xavier Malisse, who coached him for a few weeks, including at Vienna.
“It’s been good,” said Tomic. “The last seven or eight weeks we’ve done some pretty good training.’"
Tomic is next scheduled to play the ATP tournament in Brisbane.