Bernard Tomic was denied a place in the Australian Open after a three-set final round qualifying loss of 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 to 22-year-old Italian Lorenzo Sonego on Sunday.
It marked a career low for Tomic, who was once ranked world number 17 but is now down to the 142nd place in the world.
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Following the defeat, the 25-year-old told reporters as he left Melbourne Park: “I just count money, that’s all I do. I count my millions.
“You go do what I did. You go make $13-14 million. Good luck guys. Bye Bye.”
The remark garnered outrage from stars of the tennis world, with former world number one Andy Roddick tweeting “maybe stop for a second and think of the millions you’ve left on the table,” and that the loss was “self-inflicted, no sympathy here”.
Tennis star Andy Roddick. Source: AAP
Australian radio personality and musician Lindsay McDougall tweeted: “I reckon Bernard Tomic should pay someone else to count his millions, so he can practice playing tennis.”
Others felt Tomic deserved support.
“Tomic’s career is his own,” another said, “He can do it for the money or the fame. It’s up to him.”
While Tennis Australia simply responded: “bad luck Bernie, what a great fight”:
It’s not the first time the Queenslander's comments have attracted controversy.
After a defeat against German tennis player Mischa Zverev at Wimbledon last July, Tomic told the Herald Sun: “You probably don’t like me but, at only 24, you guys can only dream about having what I have at 24.
“End of the day, don’t like me or whatever. Just go back dreaming about your dream car or house, while I go buy them.”
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