Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic has announced his retirement from the game with plans to launch a soccer career, citing “better pay and a well-established culture of diva antics” as reasons for the move.

The announcement came just hours after Tomic, a Gold Coast local, pulled out of a match in Acapulco due to “unbearable” 27-degree heat.

“People seem to understand and even celebrate when soccer players take a dive, but when I do it, everyone complains,” Tomic said. “Moving to a sport like soccer, where faking injuries and gloating over goals are vital skills, will enable the Australian people to finally recognise me for the sporting legend I am.”