Tennis Australia has reached out to Bernard Tomic, believing the controversial Australian star is burnt out.
Former Davis Cup captain Wally Masur, TA's head of performance, has lamented Tomic's apathy towards tennis is taking attention away from other Australians' successes.
But he expressed sympathy for the 24-year-old despite his admission he only plays for money and has no love for the game.
"He's battling," Masur told reporters on Monday, a day after Tomic unapologetically defended his attitude in a television interview.
"Bernie has been ultra-professional since he was 14 and it's almost like he's suffering some sort of burn-out at the moment."
Masur did not give details on what kind of support was offered or whether it was accepted.
But he said TA was more conscious than in the past about player welfare, despite the governing body having only a limited relationship with Tomic.
"They (players) are sub-contractors to the ATP tour. They're basically out there competing for prize money," Masur said.
"We don't have all the leverage that some people might think we actually have.
"It's out of our jurisdiction to a large degree, but we have reached out, yeah.
"At Tennis Australia, we've just implemented a well-being program because we're starting to understand that at some point, kids have just got to be kids and they've really got to enjoy the journey."
Tomic's ranking has plummeted from a career-high of 17 to 73 in the world.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Seven Network's Sunday Night program, he claimed he felt "trapped" by the sport.
He came under fire most recently for putting in limited effort at Wimbledon, describing himself as being bored on court.
But Masur said TA was not considering severing ties with Tomic, instead he would be considered for Australia's Davis Cup semi-final against Belgium in September if he chose to be available.
"Conversations will always be had with Bernie, but it's kind of more where he's at," he said.
"I think for Bernie, he's just got to start to enjoy the sport again."
Tomic has conceded the Davis Cup side was better off without him - at least until he worked out what he really wanted.
Masur urged Tomic and fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios - another troubled potential star - to decide their commitment to tennis.
"Both of those players are at a point now where we've got to decide and really commit to being the best players they can possibly be," he said.
Share
