TOMIC NAMES LAST PURSUIT BEFORE RETIRING 'GUILT-FREE', DISCLOSES MENTAL DEMONS

Grinding his way through the Challenger Tour, Bernard Tomic is hopeful of one last hurrah. (Getty/Logan Riely)

Once ranked 17th in the world, Bernard Tomic's life was too good to be true. At least, that was the perspective of an outsider looking in.

In reality, money, fame and the limelight forced the once-touted great of Australian tennis to spiral down the dreaded rabbit hole, falling as low as world No.825 less than three years ago.

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Right now, the 32-year-old sits 236th in the rankings as he edges closer to cracking into the top-200, helped by a new motivation and mindset.

Making an appearance on the Changeover podcast, Tomic communicated that he "wouldn't change anything" as he reflected on what could have been.

"Everything happens for a reason," he said. "I mean personally, I just let go [and] lost the hunger.

"I got to 23, 24-year-old and made $11-12 million dollars, so obviously I worked really hard when I was young and I missed my childhood, but then it got to the stage where I didn't feel fulfilled, even the winning on the court, I just wanted to be normal.

"Tennis is a tough sport travelling. It destroyed me at 24, 25. Mentally I just didn't want to play. I was tanking and couldn't bear the fact that it happened like this for a couple of years.

"Tennis is a very isolated sport, travelling on your own. You have to give up your whole life, and you're not surrounded by a team. If you lose, you're on your own.

"You need to find whatever keeps you happy, gets you going. I mean I've obviously matured now compared to 10 years ago, so I see things differently and I know how to react differently now at this stage in my life."

Despite Tomic virtually giving up on the sport on countless occasions, he revealed it simply isn't that easy to walk away from something that has been part of your life for nearly three decades.

But before he prepares for life after tennis, the former Wimbledon quarter-finalist is determined to conquer one final challenge before retirement.

"Tennis has become part of my life since I was seven. I had a dad that pushed me extremely hard in tennis, and that's one of the reasons I got there [the professional tour]," Tomic explained.

"But when you look at this whole picture now, I'm 32, it's a purpose. It still gives me something to do. Without tennis, I don't know what I would do.

"My goal is to be top-100 and then I can retire, it's more of a statement sort of thing, so let's see if I can do it. But you have to find your purpose, something that gets you going.

"I'm not in my prime like I was for sure, and that's what I'm challenging myself; telling myself to get back there one more time and then retire happy, retire guilt-free."

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