Don’t lump me in with brat Bernard Tomic, says Australia Davis Cup star Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios has ripped apart the veneer of friendship between he and fellow Australian Bernard Tomic, saying his erstwhile Davis Cup teammate has “lost his way” and “doesn’t make sense”.

Kyrgios will lead Australia’s charge at the Davis Cup semi-final against Belgium which starts later on Friday in Brussels but Tomic has been omitted after missing a string of tournaments that have seen his ranking plummet to 146.

The duo have described each other as friends and allies in the past, and occasionally defended each other against accusations of brattish behaviour on and off the court.

But Kyrgios distanced himself from the player who said he was “bored” with tennis at Wimbledon and has since bragged about his earnings despite a lack of commitment to the game.

“You’d also be wrong if you tried to lump me in the same category as Bernard Tomic,” world number 20 Kyrgios wrote in a blog on the website playersvoice.com.au.

“Bernie has lost his way. We were pretty good mates when I was younger.

“I obviously didn’t know the tennis tour too well back then and we were guys of similar age, representing the same country, on the road at many of the same tournaments.