Bernard “Bernie” Tomic, once one of tennis’s most promising young talents, saw his bid to return to the Grand Slam main draw end abruptly this week. On a rain-swept Wednesday at Roland Garros, the 32-year-old Australian, currently ranked No. 231 in the world, fell 6-3, 6-4 to 21-year-old American Ethan Quinn in the second round of men’s singles qualifying.
The defeat marks yet another setback in Tomic’s checkered career, which peaked more than a decade ago when he became the youngest male Australian to win an ATP Tour match and cracked the world’s top 20. Four years have passed since he last featured in a Grand Slam main draw, and despite flashes of resilience and technique, Tomic’s hopes of resurrecting his career on one of tennis’s grandest stages were extinguished under the grey Parisian skies.
First-Round Promise Fades in Second-Round Reality Check
• Upset over Coleman Wong
Tomic entered the qualifier buoyed by a stirring upset in his opening match on Monday, defeating 20-year-old Hong Kong prodigy Coleman Wong 7-6 (7-4), 6-2. The victory appeared to signal a resurgence, with Tomic’s trademark slice backhands and deft drop shots finding their mark.
• Quinn’s Aggressive Baseline Play
Against Quinn, ranked No. 218, Tomic struggled to impose his game. The Californian left-hander opened with a decisive break, earned by stepping inside the baseline and firing flat, penetrating groundstrokes. Tomic dropped serve in the seventh game of the first set and could not engineer the mini-break needed to force a tiebreak.
• Second Set Slippage
In the second set, Tomic briefly rallied from 2-0 down to level at 2-2, only to be broken again when his forehand drifted wide. Quinn maintained his intensity, converting his fifth match point on Tomic’s serve to seal the win in 1 hour 22 minutes. Tomic finished the day with 15 unforced errors, more than double Quinn’s total, underscoring his inability to seize control in crucial moments.
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Weather Disruptions Compound Frustration
Heavy rain interrupted the qualifying schedule across multiple courts. After Quinn’s victory, further play was suspended when water began pooling on the surrounding courts, forcing tournament officials to delay the start of several second-round matches for other Australian hopefuls.
• Maddison Inglis and Daria Saville
Fellow Australian Maddison Inglis fell 7-5, 6-3 to Russia’s Kristina Dmitruk in the women’s qualifying, while compatriot Daria Saville — the 26th seed — was locked at 2-2 in her first set before rain halted her tie against France’s Daphnee Mpetshi-Perricard. Both must return Thursday to resume their campaigns.
• Australian Men’s Draw
On the men’s side, Astra Sharma and Talia Gibson did not begin their second-round contests before the weather intervened. Jason Kubler, the last Australian man remaining, trailed Japan’s James Trotter 7-6 (8-6), 1-0 when play was suspended. Kubler will need to maintain his tight tiebreak form to keep alive his bid for a second consecutive main-draw appearance.
Tomic’s Career: From Prodigy to Perennial Qualifier
Bernie Tomic’s journey—once characterized by rapid ascents and headline-grabbing victories—has in recent years become emblematic of unfulfilled promise. A brief career recap illuminates the depth of his fall:
• Early Breakthrough (2008–2011)
Tomic burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old, reaching the Australian Open junior semifinals. He upset Richard Gasquet in the second round of the 2011 Wimbledon men’s singles, becoming the youngest male to win a grand slam main-draw match since Boris Becker.
• Career High and First ATP Title (2015)
In January 2016, Tomic reached his career-high ranking, No. 17, after lifting his first ATP title in Sydney. His enigmatic persona, on- and off-court eccentricities, and sometimes cryptic press conference remarks fueled media fascination.
• Decline and Struggles (2017–2021)
Injuries, coaching upheavals, and a series of underwhelming performances saw Tomic slip down the rankings. His 2017 French Open main-draw appearance was his last in a major until now, with repeated first-round exits and early qualifying losses defining his subsequent seasons.
• Attempts at Comeback
Despite his ranking slide, Tomic has continued to accept wildcards and entered qualifiers at prestigious events. An appearance at the 2022 Challenger in Aix-en-Provence saw glimpses of the fire that once propelled him, but consistency proved elusive.
Broader Australian Contingent Fights On
While Tomic’s qualifier run ended, other Australians also battled in Paris for main-draw berths:
• Jason Kubler
Kubler, ranked around No. 190, seeks to reach the French Open main draw for the first time. Known for his powerful forehand and tenacious defense, he faces James Trotter in a matchup of two challenging competitors separated by only a handful of ranking points.
• Women’s Side
Maddison Inglis, Daria Saville, Astra Sharma, and Talia Gibson all remain alive in the women’s qualifying bracket, albeit at various stages. Inglis’s loss highlights the depth and strength of young Russian talent, while Saville’s match with Perricard offers first-time French Open qualifiers a chance to break through.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Tomic and Co.?
For Bernie Tomic, the loss represents another missed opportunity to reestablish himself on tennis’s grandest stage. Having fallen out of the spotlight, he may pivot to Challenger events and ATP 250 qualifying rounds for the remainder of the 2025 season, aiming to rebuild ranking points and confidence.
His immediate focus will shift to the grass-court season: Tomic has historically enjoyed success on grass, reaching the Wimbledon third round in 2011 and 2012. A series of strong performances at events in Surbiton, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and Halle could offer him a springboard back into the top 200.
Meanwhile, the Australian national tennis body Tennis Australia continues to monitor its other hopefuls. Should Kubler or one of the women secure main-draw spots, they will join a strong contingent — including Alex de Minaur, John Millman, and Alexei Popyrin — who have already qualified or received direct entry.
Conclusion: The Unforgiving Nature of Professional Tennis
Bernie Tomic’s second-round exit from French Open qualifying encapsulates the brutal reality of professional sport. Once lauded as a potential Grand Slam champion, Tomic now must contend with younger contenders and the physical demands of a game that has grown faster and more athletic. Despite the loss, his continued presence in qualifiers and occasional flashes of brilliance affirm that the door to revival remains ajar—if he can rediscover the drive and form that once propelled him to the cusp of tennis’s elite. In the unforgiving crucible of Grand Slam tennis, redemption is possible, but the margins for error shrink with each passing year. For Tomic, Quinn, and the broader Australian squad, the quest for a place in Roland Garros’s storied draw continues—one match at a time.
