Troubled Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic has admitted he made a mistake after being arrested in Miami for refusing to turn down the music at a hotel penthouse party.
The fiery 22-year-old, already at odds with Tennis Australia, was taken into custody early Wednesday morning after police were called to the chic W Hotel after multiple reports of a raucous party in his rooms.
According to the arrest affidavit, witnesses said Tomic closed the door on security guards — pointing at them as the party continued.
When police arrived and attempted to evict him, guests of the player departed while Tomic verbally and physically disobeyed the officers, authorities said.
He was arrested and charged with trespassing and resisting an officer without violence before being released on US$2,000 bail.
“Obviously it was disappointing what happened,” Tomic told Australia’s Channel Seven in comments broadcast Friday.
“It was a bit interesting, obviously I couldn’t control what happened.
“I feel sad in one way, they (the police) were doing their job, I was playing music loud, there were several complaints coming from the rooms.
“For sure it was my mistake and I guess I have to pay the price for it,” he added.
Tomic, ranked 25th in the world, was toppled in the first round of the ATP grass court tournament in Newport, Rhode Island, on Monday.
He took a wild card into the event after being dumped from the Australian team for this week’s Davis Cup tie against Kazakhstan for what Tennis Australia called “disparaging and disrespectful comments”.
Tomic had lashed out at player-turned-tennis official Pat Rafter in a post-match Wimbledon news conference, calling the Australian federation penny-pinching.
He had a further beef with the federation after TA sent out a press release saying Tomic was to play in the “Hall of Shame Tennis Championships” in Newport — where the tournament is called the “Hall of Fame Championships”.
The federation insisted it was a clerical error.
TA president Steve Healy admitted on Friday he was “very worried” about Tomic.
“We are very worried about Bernard, it certainly is a very sad situation,” he told Melbourne radio station 3AW of the arrest.
“We hope this is a turning point in the road for him and that he realises the error of his ways and makes some changes.
“He’s a real talent, and it’s just a shame that talent is being wasted.”