Lleyton Hewitt accused Bernard Tomic of blackmail and physical threats against him and his family in explosive allegations Thursday as Australian tennis plunged to new lows.
The veteran two-time Grand Slam champion said the firebrand player would never again feature in Davis Cup while he captained the Australian team.
He called Tomic a "clown" and said he did not want anything to do with him.
"We're trying to set cultural standards for the Davis Cup and representing Australia. He hasn't really been close to those for in the last couple of years," Hewitt told reporters.
He was responding to Tomic's claims this week that Hewitt had ruined the national system and "no one likes him any more".
The former world No.1 said Tomic had attempted to blackmail him by demanding wildcard and threatening to refuse to play Davis Cup, saying their once-close relationship was over.
"I think the threats that I have received for me and my family, that I've had for a year-and-a-half now, I don't think anyone would reach out to a person that speaks like that," he said.
Asked what sort of threats, he replied: "They were blackmail threats and physical."
"It will (continue). He won't play Davis Cup while I have anything to do with it."
"Like, literally. If you've retired, why are you still in tennis?"