WORLD No418 Bernard Tomic has called out rival Nick Kyrgios to a bonkers $2million winner-takes-all grudge match.
The Australian tennis bad boys have not seen eye to eye for years and now they could finally settle the score on the court.
They have been feuding on social media throughout the week – Kyrgios told Tomic to “quieten down” after claiming he was better.
Tomic won their only previous senior meeting, although it was at an exhibition event and does not count on their pro records.
But on Thursday the world No418 upped the ante by proposing a showdown clash between the two, with each player stumping up £562,000 [$1m AUD] as part of the wager.
Tomic told the Gold Coast Bulletin: “Put your money where your mouth is or accept that I’m better than you, full stop.
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“Talk is cheap. I’m happy to make it 2-0 [to me] any time.
“I’ll put up a million and you put up a million, let’s see who is the better player.
“Let the public see who is better for once and for all.
“I’ve beaten you easy before and I’ll do it again.
“Plus we’ll play on grass so you don’t make any excuses.”
In their bizarre exchange earlier in the week, Tomic said on Instagram: “The only logical explanation is that I’m his idol.
“He’s always been in my shadows growing up. That’s why any time someone mentions my name to him, it gets under his skin.
“He knows he can’t rewrite history. The records that I set when I was 16, 17, 18, and 19 — youngest slam quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, the biggest tournament in the world.
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“He would love to shut me up if he could but he knows he can’t. He knows my style dominates his and he knows he will lose.”
Tomic burst on to the scene as a teenager, winning two junior Grand Slams and making a name for himself with plenty of promise.
However, his career has spiralled downwards spectacularly since 2016.
In 2019 he was stripped of his £45,000 Wimbledon prize money for a lack of sufficient effort, tanking his straight-sets defeat against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Tomic, who featured in an X-rated OnlyFans video with his girlfriend, is now playing on tennis’ Challenger Tour, the level below the main ATP Tour.
By comparison, Kyrgios is ranked 76th in the world, won the 2022 Australian Open doubles, has beaten all of the Big 4, has a higher career ranking and earned more prize money.
The 27-year-old Canberra star, who has had his own troubles on and off the court, hit back by screenshotting Tomic’s recent results and quipped: “Bernard, I didn’t realise it was this bad.
“I low key feel bad now. Hit me up if you need me to help you remember how to play.
“Let’s not forget the time I paid for your flight home from Shanghai because you had no money.
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“Hahahaha rewrite history, you are the most hated athlete in Australia.
“You are right, no one can take over that.”
