Bernard Tomic - Junior Career

Junior Career

In 2004, 2006 and 2007 respectively, Tomic won the 12s, 14s and 16s Orange Bowl titles – one of the most prestigious events on the junior tour.

Playing his first singles event on the junior tour in 2006, he qualified for the Sunsmart 18 and Under Canterbury Championships in New Zealand and went on to win the title, defeating Dae-Soung Oh of Korea in the final. His success continued, winning the next three tournaments he played in, giving him a 25 match winning streak. Tomic was able to extend this streak to 26 at the Riad 21 junior tournament in Morocco before falling in the round of 16 to future junior world number 1 and ATP top 80 player Ričardas Berankis.

Tomic gained direct acceptance into his first junior Grand Slam at the 2007 Australian Open junior boys tournament at 14 years of age, the youngest player to ever gain direct entry. He came out victorious in round 1 against the sixth seed Jose-Roberto Velasco. In the second round he was defeated by Kevin Botti 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. In attendance for the match were Australian tennis greats Tony Roche, John Newcombe and Pat Rafter. In his second junior Grand Slam tournament at the 2007 French Open he made his way through qualifying to reach the main draw where he triumphed in the first round. In the second round he would lose to Ričardas Berankis 6-2, 6-3.

Tomic did not win another tournament until August 2007, where he won the Oceania Closed Junior Championships without dropping a set. He was unable to continue his dominance at the Junior US Open, falling in the Round of 16 to future top 30 ATP player Jerzy Janowicz. Following the US Open, Tomic picked up a second title in 2007 by winning the G1 in Kentucky. Tomic would then travel to Italy where he compiled an undefeated record in the Junior Davis Cup. Tomic lead Australia to winning the Junior Davis Cup final against Argentina with teammates Mark Verryth and Alex Sanders. Tomic finished 2007 with a junior world ranking of 23.

Tomic began 2008 by winning Nottinghill, an Australian ITF Junior event in Melbourne without dropping a set. Two days later he started his campaign for the Australian Open Juniors title as the 5th seed. Tomic went on to win defeating the 25th, 11th, 8th and 1st seed before beating 10th seed Tsung-Hua Yang of Taiwan in the final. His win at the age of 15 made him the youngest winner of the Australian Open Junior Boys' Championships in the Open Era.

Four months later, at Roland Garros, Tomic, the number one seed, fell in the quarter finals to Guido Pella of Argentina, losing in two sets. At Wimbledon, Tomic was again the number one seed, but fell in the semi-finals to Henri Kontinen. In a notable quarter final match, Tomic played another rising star, Henrique Cunha of Brazil, and came through victorious in three sets. Tomic also finished runner-up in the Wimbledon Junior Boys' Doubles Championships with fellow Australian junior Matt Reid. At the 2008 US Open (Boys' Singles), Tomic lost in the first round to Devin Britton of the United States in three sets.

Tomic returned to juniors competition at the 2009 Roland Garros championships where he once again reached the quarter finals in the boy's singles tournament and a month later once again reached the semi finals at Wimbledon. At the 2009 US Open (Boys' Singles), however, Tomic won the junior grandslam title, defeating Chase Buchanan of the United States. Although Tomic was allowed to continue playing junior tournaments in 2010, the 2009 US Open would be his last junior tournament. Despite winning two junior grand slams Tomic's highest junior ranking was number 2 in the world.