"I couldn't play with the heat. I felt so, so bad and I felt like I was going to collapse. It was the best thing for me to do to retire. ... The main thing is to get it out of my system."

Stepping aside: Bernard Tomic. Credit:Getty Images

It is the latest setback for the Queenslander who now has crashed out at the first hurdle in his last three competitions.

Not for the first time in his career, he was accused of tanking in Madrid after turning his racket the wrong way to face a serve from Fabio Fangini when trying to save the match.

Tomic is not currently not slated to play in any further ATP events before the French Open gets underway at Roland Garros on May 17 and has only won a single set in his last four matches on clay.