Bernard Tomicthe former world number 17 in tennis in 2016, recently created a stir in the tennis world for a rather unusual episode during the Little Rock Open in Arkansas, a tournament on the ATP Challenger circuit. Currently ranked 247th after plummeting to 825th due to various personal and behavioral issues, Tomic abandoned the match against Japan's Yuta Shimizu after losing the first set 6-1.
During the match, Tomic appeared distracted and requested medical attention, complaining of feeling unwell and revealing that his girlfriend had tested positive for Covid that morning. However, the real drama broke out when the tennis player started arguing with his girlfriend, influencer Keely Hannah, who was in the audience. The discussion, which was partially picked up by the commentators' microphones, concerned the results of Hannah's Covid test. Tomic said: “You tested positive for Covid today!”, to which Hannah replied: “No, that was two weeks ago!”
After the argument, Tomic decided to withdraw from the match, shaking hands with the referee and his opponent, and subsequently tested positive for Covid. The situation also had repercussions on social media: Tomic deactivated his Instagram account, while Hannah made it private. This episode adds another turbulent chapter to Tomic's career, known for his difficult character and various controversial behaviors on and off the pitch.