He is still on the lookout for a full-time coach.
But Bernard Tomic believes he is primed to launch a bold quest to crack the ATP Tour top 10.
Tomic said he hoped to eventually find a full-time mentor next year despite enjoying a career-high world ranking of 17 in January, while flying solo.
He said finding a new coach would be a key step toward his 2017 goal of finally joining the top 10.
"Hopefully in 2017 I can have someone there, a mentor - that is going to be important," said world No.26 Tomic.
"I would like to reach the top 10 mark."
And Tomic believes the homecourt advantage this summer will provide an ideal launching pad for his plan.
Tomic will start his preparation for the Australian Open at the Brisbane International, which begins on January 1.
"I think Australia will push me forward so I have to be ready and step up here," Tomic said.
"Brisbane is a huge start for me. And I feel it could be a huge year for me."
While 2016 featured Tomic in the headlines for some incidents off the court, including a spat with Australian Olympic Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller and a run-in with a heckler at the US Open, what haunted him most was blowing a big chance at Wimbledon.
His five-set, fourth round loss to Frenchman Louis Pouille, from two-sets-to-one up a major pain point.
"I could have pushed for a quarter maybe a semi," Tomic lamented.
Another was his see-sawing Acapulco Open final loss to rising star Dominic Thiem in February.
A win would have catapulted him to world No.13 and closer to the the top 10.
"I missed a few chances but I know what I need to do to progress in 2017," Tomic said before elaborating that only he could help himself at times.
"No one can help myself more than I can - that's up to me," he said.
"Mentality is the key. It's why the top five, top 10 are so good - it's something I lack."
Tomic remains confident that despite the crushing pressure to do well at home, Australia is the best place for him to launch his season with a big Australian Open performance.
"It's not easy. You have to try and put that aside and not get distracted," he said.
"It always gets to you that pressure. You just have to control it.
"But Australia is my favourite place to play."
