Bernard Tomic has retired mid-match from an ATP Challenger event after getting into a bizarre argument with his girlfriend.
While the world’s best are at Roland-Garros for the Roland-Garros, Tomic was playing in the Little Rock Open in the US state of Arkansas.
Once ranked as high as No.17 in the world, Tomic now languishes at No.247 and is battling to break back inside the top-200.
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On Friday morning (AEST), Tomic was playing Japanese world No.265 Yuta Shimizu in the second round when he was struck down by illness – suspected to be COVID-19.
Bernard Tomic retired from an ATP Challenger Tour match after an argument with his girlfriend. ATP Tour
Tomic got wiped in 6-1 in the first set, before pulling the pin entirely in the first game of the second set.
The 31-year-old appeared to be disinterested throughout the match, refusing to run for wide balls and putting minimal effort into his own shots and serves.
Tomic complained of illness throughout the match and called for medics on multiple occasions, however, with no doctors available to attend the court he was forced to continue with the match.
“I haven’t seen him move for a single ball and he is missing literally everything,” tennis analyst Zachary Cohen wrote on X.
“He had the doctors out and told them his girlfriend tested positive for Covid this morning.”
Just minutes before announcing he would be retiring from the match, Tomic got into an argument with his girlfriend Keely Hannah, who was pictured sitting in the stands, about when she tested positive for Covid.
Tomic said she tested positive on the day of the match, but Hannah disputed his claims and said she’d tested positive 10 days before.
Bernard Tomic argues with girlfriend. ATP Tour
“Bernard and his girlfriend just continuing to argue,” the ATP Challengers commentator said.
“The long and short of it, Bernie saying, ‘You tested positive for COVID today’, girlfriend saying, ‘No, that was two weeks ago’.
“I did not anticipate having to commentate a couple’s quarrel here – but here we are.
“Either way, uncomfortable for all the fans here, who are just wanting to see a little bit of tennis tonight, but I don’t know that they’re going to get it.”
The couple seemingly could not agree on how Tomic became ill, with the former Aussie star electing to retire. He would later test positive, and was quarantined.
Keely Hannah sitting in the stands at Bernard Tomic’s game. ATP Tour
“All right, that does it. So, retiring due to illness is Bernard Tomic,” the commentator said.
“Well, that’s a very awkward way to end, and a rather ‘Bernie’ way to end, isn’t it? Tough way to go out.
“Tomic now, we’ll see if he’s able to recover. And again, how the heck did he win that match a couple of days ago?”
The match lasted just 23 minutes, with Shimizu advancing through to the quarter-finals by default.