No Australian Open ticket for banned John Tomic

John Tomic, father and coach of Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic, will be barred from the Australian Open as he continues his suspension from the ATP tour for assaulting his son's former training partner.

The Bosnia-born former taxi driver was sentenced to eight months in prison by a Spanish court last month for head-butting Frenchman Thomas Drouet in the face and breaking his nose.

Tomic was not required to serve jail time because his sentence was under two years in length.

The ATP banned Tomic's accreditation for all tour events earlier this year and will decide whether to lift the ban next May.

"The grand slams as well as the ATP work together on this," Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley told reporters at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.

"The rule is he's not accredited and does not have permission to purchase a ticket.

"And the systems we have in place - John (or) anyone else who is banned, they are not allowed on the grounds and our security personnel will take care of that appropriately."

Bernard Tomic has stood by his father throughout the controversy, and criticised the ATP for being quick to impose the ban.

At Wimbledon, the 20-year-old said he would ask tournament officials to allow his father to be courtside at his matches but the ban remained in place.

Tiley said any similar request from the local favourite would be given short shrift.

"It still falls within the one-year ban so regardless of what happens at the Australian Open our position will hold," he said.

Tomic, ranked world number 55 but touted a future top 10 player, broke through for his maiden ATP title in Sydney in January, but has struggled for fitness and form during his father's exile.

Apart from an encouraging run to the fourth round at Wimbledon, Tomic was knocked out at the first hurdle at Roland Garros and the second at Flushing Meadows.

Image: John Tomic

Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images