Tennis: Tomic thinks big with top 10 aim

Bernard Tomic during the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Photo / Getty Images

Breaking into the world's top 10 by the age of 20 may sound ambitious. But tennis prodigy Bernard Tomic reckons that may be the least of his achievements next year after surprising himself with his success this year.

Spurred on by the success of fellow Gold Coast product Sam Stosur in the US Open, world No 42 Tomic hoped he would be celebrating more than just his 20th birthday on October 21.

"I would love to be in the top 10 by my next birthday," he said. "If not, I am looking to be in the top 20.

"It will be a hard task but I have done well this year.

"I did not think I would be where I am - anything is possible. I have a lot of tournaments where I can get points in the next six months."

Tomic is thinking big after this year becoming the youngest man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Boris Becker in 1986.

He qualified for Wimbledon as the world No 158 but by the end of the year had rocketed into the top 50 for the first time.

Tomic admitted he would be under more pressure to perform from an Australian sporting public starved for tennis success since Lleyton Hewitt's decline.

But he didn't mind adding to that pressure himself with grand slam success and Olympic medals now in his sights following Stosur's US Open triumph.

"It [Stosur's win] motivates us a lot. I look at it and say I want to win a grand slam like her. That will always be with her, that title, and maybe in the future I can win tournaments like that.

"The Olympics will be my focus as well next year. It is a true event, one that I want to win a medal at."

Success has helped him win over the sporting public but he still believes he has been "misunderstood".

He recently made headlines after being investigated by Gold Coast police for complaints of hooning in his sports car.

"I don't worry about that stuff. It is in the past. You are going to get good press and bad press, but I am doing my job playing tennis."

- AAP