Bernard Tomic in major Australian Open development as telling Tennis Australia decision looms

OPINION

Bernard Tomic has put himself in line to secure a spot in the 2025 Australian Open as he cracked the men's top 200 this week for the first time since March 2020. While Tomic often finds himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, breaking into the top 200 has come on the back of hard work and an eagerness to revive his once-promising tennis career.

At the end of August 2022, Tomic was a 29-year-old ranked 835 in the world, who many would have been shocked to learn was still competing. From a career-high of World No.17 in January 2016, it was as low as he had been since his initial rise after turning pro and it was a point where many tennis players would have thrown in the towel.

But in the past two seasons, Tomic has revived his languishing career and must be applauded for his hard work in doing so. Having once bragged about "counting his millions" after a lacklustre performance in Australian Open qualifying in 2018, now he largely competes on the ITF Tour, with some ATP and Challenger events scattered in. Those events are without any glitz and glam and are usually played in front of crowds smaller than what is seen at suburban football grounds.

But Tomic has turned up week in and week out as he looks to climb up the rankings. This year Tomic has played tournaments in Mexico City, Acapulco, Chicago and even Las Vegas, but also played in Lexington and Chennai - where he took out the title. That Chennai tournament triumph netted him barely more than $5,000, with his biggest paycheque of the year being $11,500 for a semi-final loss in Mexico City.

Tomic's year-to-date prize money sits just above $80,000 and once you take into account, accommodation, training fees, medical treatment and travel, he has less disposable income than a lot of Aussies. So while many can criticise his behaviour, and much of the time rightly so, his willingness to compete and try and revive his tennis career is admirable. And it would be great to see him given the chance to once again compete in the main draw at Melbourne Park.

Should Bernard Tomic be handed an Australian Open wildcard?

A return to the top 200 has firmly put Tomic back into grand slam contention. His surge up the rankings has all but guaranteed him a spot in Australian Open qualifying. But Tennis Australia should seriously consider rewarding his hard work and toil with a wildcard.

Having turned 32 on Monday, Tomic hardly fits the bill for the up-and-comers often handed wildcards but handing him one would show Tennis Australia has buried the hatchet with the divisive star while also giving Tomic an opportunity for a fresh start. Worst case scenario he throws the chance away with another lacklustre effort in the first round. But at the very least it puts bums in seats and gets Aussies tuning in to watch his opening-round match.

The reality is love him or hate him Tomic is a character and someone people like to watch win or lose. There is also the realistic possibility he could draw a 'soft' first-round opponent that could see him make the second or even third round of the grand slam, which would get tongues wagging. And it could ultimately be the catalyst for him recapturing the form that once saw him touted as Australia's hottest tennis prospect.

However, is giving Tomic a wildcard something Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley would consider? Before last year's Australian Open - when Tomic was World No.278 - Tiley said there was no bad blood between Tennis Australia and Tomic and promised any past issues would not impact his potential wildcard status.

"It's not so much about the relationship, but it's about if they're deserving," Tiley explained. "The things we consider – the form of the player coming in, there is a factor looking at age in some instances because do you want to give a younger player the opportunity versus one who's been the journeyman for a while."

While he wasn't given one last year, could he be awarded it in 2025? This year Tomic has shown he is willing to put in the work. While it hasn't been entirely without controversy, the Aussie's performances have been hard to ignore both good and bad.

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Mixed in with a bizarre heckling incident in August and a record-short final defeat earlier this month, Tomic has put in some clinical performances showing he still has the talent to compete among the top players in the sport. While a wildcard may be unlikely all things considered, it is something Tennis Australia should give serious thought to.

But even if he doesn't get a spot in the main draw courtesy of a wildcard, Tomic could gain the respect of the tennis world by earning a place through qualifying at Melbourne Park. Australian Open wildcards are set to be announced in December, with qualifying for the first grand slam of the new season to begin on January 6.