Bernard Tomic has registered this week his best ranking, entering for the first time in the top 20, in the last available spot. Earlier this year Tomic, following the defeat in Brisbane against Kei Nishikori 60 64 in just 58 minutes, had claimed that he would “reach the top 20 somehow by the end of the year”, starting from number 53.
The rise of the Australian player in the ranking was slower than people expected when he had just entered the tour. A former Wimbledon quarterfinalist and a two-times Junior Slam winner, Tomic’s future was often predicted to be bright: many believed he could be a potential top 10 if not even the next world number 1. Since then, however, much water has flowed under the bridge: from the problems with his histrionic father to those with the law and with the Australian federation; in between there was even an hip injury that led to his temporary exit from the top 100 last year.
Now, however, Bernard seems to have found greater consistency in his results, a quality that together with a more relaxed attitude on and off court might lead him to climb the rankings even higher.
His next declared goal is to reach the top 15 by the end of the year. He will play five tournaments to get there: Tokyo, Shanghai, Stockholm, Valencia and Paris.
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