Tomic's dad hints at looming call on Open

Fallen Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic's plans for his immediate playing future may be revealed next week, his father says.

Volatile tennis dad John Tomic is considering lifting the lid on son Bernard's grand plans as the fallen star fights to save his career amid speculation he's set for a reality TV appearance.

Tomic has entered next week's Australian Open qualifying tournament after being snubbed for a wildcard to contest his home grand slam.

It's understood the 25-year-old is quietly plotting to silence the doubters and earn his own way into the Open as rumours also swirl that he's set to pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars as a contestant on the Ten Network's I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! program.

Bernard's coach John declined to comment when asked about his son's future while watching his daughter Sara's Sydney International qualifying campaign.

"Next week, see me and I may say something," he intriguingly told AAP on Friday.

On Thursday, Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley ended months of speculation by

formally ruling Tomic Jr out of wildcard contention.

But he remains on the qualifying entry list and is said to be "fired up" to play.

The one-time world No.17 has been on the outer since making himself unavailable for Davis Cup after last year's Open.

Tomic's exile was believed to be over a family funding dispute with Tennis Australia, with John upset over the governing body's level of support for Sara.

It remains unknown whether Tomic even requested an Open wildcard, or

always planned on trying to earn his own way into the main draw after

plummeting from No.27 to 140th in the world rankings in 2017.

While Tomic was contemplating his future, 19-year-old Sara toiled to one of the biggest wins of her career on Friday, rallying for a spirited 2-6 7-5 6-4 comeback win over Tunisian world No.89 Ons Jabeur.

Tomic senior has a long list of indiscretions, including run-ins with match officials and being temporarily banned from ATP events for an altercation with Bernard's former hitting partner.


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Source: AAP



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