Sara Tomic, the teenage sister of Bernard, says she tends to "get a lot of hatred" because of her brother.
"They get the wrong image of him," said Sara Tomic, also a tennis player. "Everyone thinks my brother’s a tool—he’s actually a good guy. It really frustrates me a lot."
Bernard Tomic has been in the news for speeding, partying, and being suspected of giving less than a full effort in matches. The 21-year-old was dropped by his agency, IMG, following his off-court behavior and lack of recent results. But he has responded by reaching the semifinals of this week's event in Bogota as a wildcard.
His younger sister grew up admiring him as a player, but now wants to be herself as a player and a person.
“I’ve always looked up to him—he’s so unique, it’s beautiful. The way he neutralizes the point is amazing,” she said. “When I was young I always wanted to play like him. I think I finally noticed that I’m completely different.
“I’m a girl, I’m much more emotional than him and we have completely different personalities."
Achieving success on the WTA tour will give her her own identity, she added, saying, “I want to make my own image.
“I don’t want people to see me as Tomic’s sister—I want them to see me as Sara Tomic."