Support offered for Tomic after father banned

SYDNEY (AFP) –

John Tomic, father of Bernard Tomic, watches as his son plays against Andy Murray at the Miami Masters on March 23, 2013. The father of Australian tennis player Tomic has been indefinitely banned from all tournaments as he faces charges of assaulting his son’s practice partner, governing body the ATP announced.

Australian tennis officials say moves are under way to provide support for Bernard Tomic and help him find a new coach after his father was indefinitely banned from all tournaments.

John Tomic is facing charges of headbutting his son’s practice partner Thomas Drouet, with the ATP suspending his credentials until further notice.

He denies the charges and will return to a Madrid court for a hearing on May 14, by which time his son is likely to be in Italy playing the Rome Masters ahead of the French Open.

Tennis Australia’s head of professional tennis Todd Woodbridge said he had been in touch with the player and help was being offered.

“John is his coach but will obviously be out of the picture now — we don’t know for how long — so helping Bernard is our priority,” Woodbridge told The Australian newspaper.

“It’s looking at who might be an option as a long-term coach for Bernard. It’s not about walking up to someone and saying ‘Would you coach him?’ It’s about choosing the right person for the style of play.”

Tennis player Thomas Drouet of Monaco, training partner of Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic, leaves a court house bandaged and wearing a neck brace in Madrid on May 6, 2013. Drouet was allegedly headbutted by Tomic’s father and coach, John Tomic, during an altercation on May 4, 2013 in Madrid.

Australian Davis Cup coach Josh Eagle is in Madrid and providing whatever immediate help 20-year-old Tomic needs. Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash was also in the city, Woodbridge said.

Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter, coaching great Tony Roche and Woodbridge himself will also spend much of the next two months in Europe, taking in the French Open and Wimbledon.

“The key for us in this whole thing is making sure that Bernard’s welfare is being taken care of,” Woodbridge added to Australian Associated Press.

“Bernard’s got a really good relationship with Tony Roche, who’s become a really good mentor,” he added.

“And although there’s been some stuff written about Pat (Rafter) and Bernard, they really came together at the last Davis Cup tie in Namangan (against Uzbekistan in April).”

Tomic senior has a history of unruly behaviour.

Bernard Tomic of Australia is shown playing on March 23, 2013 in Key Biscayne, Florida. Tomic has had his own share of controversy and last year created more headlines off the court than on it, including run-ins with police over driving offences in his sports car and claims he was not trying hard enough.

A former taxi driver, he once courted controversy when he ordered his son off court during a match in Perth, after claiming the umpire was not penalising the opposing player.

At the 2010 Australian Open, he confronted officials who scheduled his son to play at night. And last year, Bernard asked an umpire in Miami to throw his father out of the stadium for disruptive behaviour.

Tomic has had his own share of controversy and last year created more headlines off the court than on it, including run-ins with police over driving offences in his sports car and claims he was not trying hard enough.

He was recently recalled to Australia’s Davis Cup team after captain Rafter disciplined him for a lack of professionalism.