Bernard Tomic isn’t a name you would expect to see in action on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

The former world No. 17 had seemingly done his time on the entry-level circuit for men’s professional tennis – playing 13 ITF events (previously known as futures) between 2008 and 2010 during a rapid rise to stardom.

But after several indifferent, and often controversial, seasons on tour - and managing just three match-wins at ATP Challenger level this year - the 29-year-old Australian dropped down to the lowest tier of the sport in August in a bid to rebuild his form.

Perhaps an astute move, Tomic has been rewarded with 12 victories in his 13 matches at M15 tournaments in Cancun over the past month, claiming his first two ITF singles titles and his first at any professional tournament since he won the ATP 250 title in Chengdu four years ago.

Wins over American world No. 597 Tristan McCormick and No. 744 Alexander Cozbinov, of Moldova, in back-to-back finals in Mexico might not seem hugely confidence-boosting for a player of his talent, but the humbling experience has brought its rewards.

Tomic has climbed 166 places in the ATP rankings since his first visit to Cancun in late August, when he had dropped to No. 825 in the world - his lowest ranking in 14 years.

A former boys’ world No. 2, Tomic won junior singles titles at both the Australian Open and US Open, and went on to reach the quarter-finals of the men’s event at Wimbledon in 2011.

Could his time on the ITF World Tennis Tour spark a return to his former heights? 

Tomic, for one, appears to know what it will take to make that happen.

He reacted to his latest triumph with a post on Instagram that read: “There are no secrets to success. It requires: preparation, hard work and learning from your mistakes”