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Bernard Tomic is the most-searched name in American tennis on Friday 13 November 2026, topping Google Trends in the United States as he plays Denmark’s August Holmgren in the quarter-final of the Brisbane 3 Challenger. Behind the 34-year-old’s latest comeback stands the man who built his game from nothing: his father and long-time coach, John Tomic.
| Full name | Ivica “John” Tomic |
| Date of birth | Not publicly verified (court coverage in September 2013 described him as 49) |
| Birthplace / background | Bosnian Croat, from Tuzla, Bosnia; family left Yugoslavia before Bernard’s birth |
| Nationality | Australian (family settled on the Gold Coast in 1996) |
| Primary role | Tennis coach; father and former coach of Bernard Tomic |
| Famous anchor | Bernard Tomic, his son — Australian tennis player, career-high world No. 17 |
| Wife | Adisa (Ady) Tomic, biomedical scientist |
| Children | Bernard Tomic; Sara Tomic, former professional tennis player |
| Net worth | Not publicly verified (his son Bernard’s career prize money of US $6,915,094 is Bernard’s own, not John’s) |
| Height | Not publicly verified |
| Social media handles | Not publicly verified / private |
From Tuzla to the Gold Coast: A Family That Crossed the World for Tennis
John Tomic was born into a Bosnian Croat family from Tuzla, in what was then Yugoslavia. He and his wife Adisa, a Bosniak from Brcko, left their homeland several years before their son was born. They were both working in Germany when Bernard arrived in Stuttgart on 21 October 1992.
The family moved to Australia’s Gold Coast in 1996, when Bernard was three years old. John drove taxis to support the household while Adisa worked as a biomedical scientist. Tennis soon took over their lives, and John became the driving force behind his son’s development at the Queens Park Tennis Centre on the Gold Coast.
Bernard’s talent was obvious early. He won Orange Bowl titles at under-12, under-14 and under-16 level, then became the youngest winner of the Australian Open junior title at 15 in 2008. His father was at the centre of every step, a hands-on coach who believed his son’s unusual, unpredictable style should never be coached out of him.
Taxi Ranks and Practice Courts: Building Bernard’s Game From Scratch
John Tomic had no professional tennis background. He learned the game alongside his son, drilling him for hours on Gold Coast public courts while holding down his taxi work. Bernard was first taught by local instructor Neil Guiney at seven, but his father soon took over as his official coach.
The method produced results fast. Bernard reached the Wimbledon quarter-final in 2011 at 18, won four ATP singles titles, and peaked at world No. 17 in January 2016. His career prize money stands at US $6,915,094, according to his Bernard Tomic profile.
John’s coaching style also brought friction. At the 2010 Australian Open he threatened that Bernard would quit Australia and play for Croatia after a scheduling dispute, and Tennis Australia repeatedly clashed with the family over control of the young star’s career. Like Nic Collins, the son of Phil Collins, Bernard grew up with a famous father figure shaping his public image — except in his case, the father was also the coach, the manager and the loudest voice in the room.
The Madrid Headbutt: The Night That Changed Everything
On 4 May 2013, everything unravelled on a Madrid street. Hours before Bernard’s first-round match at the Madrid Open, John Tomic confronted his son’s French hitting partner, Thomas Drouet, outside the team hotel on the Paseo de la Castellana. John headbutted Drouet in the face, breaking his nose and knocking him out. Drouet later alleged that John had also punched Bernard hard enough to draw blood during a practice session in Monte Carlo days earlier — an allegation John denied.
John told a Madrid court he had acted in self-defence. He was taken into custody at his hotel that night, and the ATP suspended his credential privileges within days, barring him from all tour events pending investigation. Tennis Australia opened its own inquiry, and French Open organisers refused him entry even as a paying spectator.
Bernard stood by his father in public. At Roland Garros weeks later he told reporters: “He’s still my dad, he’s still my coach.” The loyalty never wavered, even as the sport’s authorities closed ranks against John.
Banned From the Tour: The Fallout and the Long Road Back
On 6 September 2013, a Madrid criminal court found John Tomic guilty of assault. Judge Jacobo Vigil handed down an eight-month sentence for the headbutt, as reported by the Associated Press, and imposed a 500-metre restraining order keeping him away from Drouet. Because the sentence was under two years and John had no criminal record in Spain, he did not serve time in prison. The Madrid court found John Tomic guilty of head-butting Drouet before the Madrid Open in May.
The sporting punishment was longer lasting. The ATP ban kept him out of every tour event, and Australian Open organisers barred him from the 2014 tournament — not even allowed to buy a ticket. Bernard appointed Croatian coach Velimir Zovko while his father served the ban, and in January 2014 John could only watch his son from the stands in Sydney as a ticket holder.
The ban eventually expired, and father and son rebuilt their working relationship away from the spotlight. Bernard’s career wound down through injuries, form slumps and a ranking slide to No. 825, before a determined comeback carried him back inside the world’s top 200 in 2026 with a Challenger title in Lincoln and a first Masters 1000 main draw in seven years at Shanghai.
What John Tomic Is Worth and Where He Stands Now
John Tomic’s net worth is not publicly verified, and no reliable source publishes his earnings. His working life was built on taxi driving and coaching his son, not on prize money or endorsements, and Bernard’s US $6,915,094 in career prize money belongs to Bernard alone.
What is clear is that the family tennis business continues. Bernard’s younger sister Sara, herself a former professional player, is now listed as Bernard’s coach on his ATP profile. Dany Garcia showed how a family member can turn a famous relative’s career into a business empire, but the Tomics took the opposite path — keeping the circle small, with family at the centre.
As Bernard plays what he has said is likely his final year on tour, his father remains the defining figure of his career: the coach who made him, and the controversy that nearly broke them both.
John Tomic FAQs
Who is John Tomic?
John Tomic, born Ivica Tomic, is the Bosnian Croat father and former coach of Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic. He coached Bernard from childhood on the Gold Coast to a Wimbledon quarter-final and a career-high ranking of world No. 17.
Why was John Tomic banned from tennis?
In May 2013 he headbutted Bernard’s hitting partner Thomas Drouet outside a Madrid hotel, breaking his nose. The ATP suspended his credentials, and a Spanish court convicted him of assault in September 2013, handing down an eight-month suspended sentence and a 500-metre restraining order.
Did John Tomic go to prison?
No. The eight-month sentence was suspended under Spanish law because it was under two years and he had no previous convictions in Spain, so he served no jail time.
Is John Tomic still Bernard Tomic’s coach?
No. Bernard’s sister Sara Tomic is now listed as his coach on his ATP profile, after John coached him through his junior years and most of his professional career.
How old is John Tomic?
His exact date of birth is not publicly verified. Court coverage in September 2013 described him as 49 at the time.
What is John Tomic’s net worth?
Not publicly verified. No reliable source publishes his earnings, and his son Bernard’s career prize money of US $6,915,094 should not be confused with his father’s wealth.
Myth-busting: did John Tomic attack his own son?
Thomas Drouet alleged that John punched Bernard during a Monte Carlo practice session days before the Madrid incident. John denied it, Bernard never confirmed it, and no court found that it happened. The only proven assault was the headbutt on Drouet.
