Bernard Tomic has given his career a fresh twist by winning the Lincoln Challenger in Nebraska, ending an eight-year wait for a Challenger Tour title and saying he will now reassess retirement.
The 33-year-old Australian beat Mark Lajal 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3) in a tense final, saving a championship point on the way to a victory that felt significant for more than just the trophy. It was Tomic's first Challenger Tour title since 2018, and it also lifted him from world No. 206 to 170 in the live rankings.
A win that changes the conversation
Tomic has spent years trying to work his way back towards the top level after once climbing to a career-high ranking of 17 in 2016. He also reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2011 and won his fourth and last ATP Tour singles title at the Claro Open Colombia in Bogota in 2015, but the years since have been shaped more by resets than by sustained momentum.
That is why this result matters. He had lost in his last three Challenger Tour finals in 2024, and he arrived in Lincoln with a simple aim: finally get over the line again. He did exactly that, and the relief was clear in what he said afterwards.
Reassessing retirement
Tomic said: “A couple of weeks ago I said this was probably my last year and I guess I will reassess things things now,” adding that he had been trying to win a Challenger for the last four years and had “finally won one.”
He also said: “I've lost a couple of finals in the last couple of years and now that I'm back to 160-170 I've got to reassess things and try and have another crack.”
That is the key point from this title. It is not just a long-awaited win, but a result that may have changed how Tomic views the final stretch of his career.
After ending the wait in Nebraska, the question is no longer only whether Tomic can still win at this level. It is whether this victory gives him enough belief to keep going and make one more push.
