Bernard Tomic is not exactly a household name in the sports world, but he might become one in a way that isn’t desirable. The 23-year-old Australian took part in a first-round U.S. Open match on Tuesday afternoon, and 17th-seeded Tomic began confronting a spectator with language that would not be appropriate, really, anywhere. Here are a few videos of the incident, but be aware that the language is somewhat NSFW:
"Suck my balls", Tomic to an annoying spectator, making Dzumhur stop his service motion. #usopen #tomic pic.twitter.com/VPPqgvtAXD
— Alex Theodoridis (@AlexTheodorid1s) August 30, 2016
"I will put my balls in your mouth" and "I will give you some money to make you feel good". Quotes: Bernard Tomic pic.twitter.com/sxGoyON0MU
— Alex Theodoridis (@AlexTheodorid1s) August 30, 2016
Tomic was caught on television saying “suck my balls” and, later, “I will put my balls in your mouth,” which would qualify as explicit and vulgar at minimum. He did not get in trouble, however, because he said these things “under his breath with a subtle tone.”
After the outburst, umpire Cedric Mourier attempted to talk Tomic through the scene with some advice.
Cedric Mourier. Not only an umpire, but also a life coach lol. #cedric #atp #usopen #tomic pic.twitter.com/eKdTjTKA9M
— Alex Theodoridis (@AlexTheodorid1s) August 30, 2016
Following the verbal exchange, Tomic went on to lose his match to Damir Dzumhur in four sets, but that is the least of his problems at this stage. While it may “help” Tomic to fly under the radar on the strength of being rather anonymous in American sporting culture, this type of incident could certainly follow the young tennis player around for some time, and it will be very interesting to see how Tomic responds in the coming days. At the very least, he should probably stop telling fans that they should suck his balls.
(via The Herald Sun)
