Bernard Tomic postpones his retirement after winning another title: "I will play for another 20 years" Bernard Tomic repousse sa retraite après avoir remporté un autre titre : "Je jouerai encore 20 ans"
L'Australien Bernard Tomic a de nouveau remporté un titre six ans plus tard, revenant dans le top 200 et mettant en suspens ses projets de retraite. Une joie qui pourrait nous permettre de profiter de son tennis pendant un certain temps supplémentaire.
Bernard Tomic is back among the top 200 tennis players in the world. The Australian, who reached number 17 in the ATP rankings in 2016, has won the Challenger de Lincoln in Nebraska after coming back against Estonian Mark Lajal, making an unexpected turnaround in his retirement plans. Just two weeks ago, the player himself stated that he was probably playing his last year as a professional. Now, after lifting another trophy, he seems less certain about it.
Tomic defeated Lajal this Sunday with a score of 4-6, 7-6, and 7-6 in a final that lasted two hours and 41 minutes. This battle allowed him to claim his first title since 2018 when he won the ATP 250 in Chengdu, marking his fourth Challenger title. Furthermore, this victory has propelled him 36 positions up the ATP rankings, now standing at number 170, his best ranking since last September.
The most striking moment came during the trophy presentation ceremony. There, Tomic spoke unusually candidly about the recent thoughts he had regarding retiring from professional tennis. "I'll be as honest as I can. About ten days ago, I hit a wall, maybe two weeks ago. I said this would be my last year, so I guess I'll have to rethink a few things now," acknowledged the Australian, with a smile.
The victory has obviously altered the landscape. Not necessarily because a title resolves all the doubts of a 33-year-old player, but because it shows that Tomic can still compete, win matches, and feel like a protagonist on the circuit again. "Now that I've won, I guess I'll have to sit back at the table again. I'll probably play for another 20 years," he joked during his champion speech.
Did the tournament change Bernard Tomic's career?
The statement was received with humor, but it also reflects the unique situation Bernard Tomic is experiencing. Not long ago, the Australian seemed far from the spotlight that once surrounded him. Now, however, he is back in the top 200 and on the verge of entering the top 10 in Australia.
His career began to attract attention at a very young age. In 2009, at just 16 years old, he became the third youngest player in history to win a Challenger title, only behind Michael Chang and Richard Gasquet. Seven years later, he reached the highest ranking of his career, number 17 in the world. Since then, his path has been much more erratic. Tomic has alternated between moments of great talent with challenging periods, struggles to find consistency, and a fluctuating relationship with professional tennis. The possibility of retirement seemed, therefore, an increasingly likely option.
A victory in Nebraska doesn't erase everything that has happened in the past years, but it can change a player's perception of his current situation. Tomic has a title again, returns to the top 200, and, above all, finds himself facing a question that just two weeks ago seemed to have an answer. Maybe this is not yet the end of Bernard Tomic. Or maybe it is at some point. But, after winning in Lincoln, at least retirement will have to wait.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Bernard Tomic aplaza su retirada tras volver a ganar un título: “Jugaré otros 20 años”