Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt is refusing to be drawn into the Bernard Tomic firestorm as the troubled star faces another rankings plunge following his Wimbledon from hell.
Tomic is provisionally projected to fall to world No.69 after his lame first-round loss to Mischa Zverev, his lowest standing in more than two-and-a-half years when he was on the comeback trail from double hip surgery.
The 24-year-old has lost his racquet sponsor and been fined $US15,000 for upsetting All England Club officials with his confession that he was a "little bit bored" during his straight-sets defeat on Monday, and that he didn't have enough respect for tennis anymore.
Tomic said his problems were mental and indicated he was starting to burn out after enduring almost a decade of the tour grind.
Former Davis Cup captain John Newcombe has expressed concern for the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finalist, fearing "he will run out of money" if he doesn't turn his career - and life - around.
"If he keeps going like this, within a year he's going to hit complete rock bottom," Newcombe said.
The former world No.1 also said Tomic's decision to skip Davis Cup this year - and the team spirit it offered - had "not been good for him".
Tomic's exile has left Hewitt frustrated and disappointed and it is unknown if the skipper has reached out to his one-time spearhead during his hour of need.
"I'm not talking about that," Hewitt said when asked on Friday to discuss Tomic's worrying plight.
The pair were once tight, with Hewitt a conspicuous supporter in Tomic's box at Wimbledon last year when he fought for a place in the quarter-finals at the same time as countryman Nick Kyrgios was playing his fourth-round match.
The two are understood to now have a somewhat fractured relationship after Tomic also split with Hewitt's management group this year, as well as boycotting the century-old teams' event that so defined Hewitt's passion and career.
With Kyrgios under an injury cloud, it is unclear whether Hewitt would consider extending the olive branch and try to lure Tomic back into the Cup fold for Australia's World Group semi-final in Belgium in September.
Others within the Australian tennis community along with Newcombe are concerned for Tomic, saying the former world No.17 and two-time grand slam junior champion needs love not condemnation as he fights to resurrect his once-promising career.
Tomic's new LA-based agent would not comment on Saturday morning on whether or not any other racquet sponsor opportunities existed after Head cut ties with him this week.
But his management confirmed Tomic still planned on kicking off his US hardcourt campaign in Atlanta starting on July 24.
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