Mikael Ymer, the Swedish tennis star who dramatically announced his retirement in August 2023, has made a surprising U-turn. Ten months after bidding farewell to the sport, Ymer has revealed his decision to return to professional tennis upon completing his anti-doping suspension.
Ymer’s retirement announcement came as a shock to the tennis community, as the 25-year-old had reached a career-high ranking of world No. 50 in 2022. However, his promising career was derailed by an 18-month ban imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in July 2023.
The ban stemmed from three missed out-of-competition doping tests in a 12-month period in 2021. Ymer initially accepted the first two missed tests but contested the third, claiming it was a result of a miscommunication with his agent.
Despite being cleared by an independent tribunal in June 2023, the ITF appealed the decision, leading to CAS upholding the original two-year ban and imposing an 18-month suspension. Ymer vehemently denied using any banned substances and expressed his disappointment with the verdict.
Following his suspension, Ymer received support from fellow players, including his brother Elias Ymer, Casper Ruud, Corentin Moutet, and Alize Cornet. However, he also faced criticism for his erratic behavior, including a default from a match in Lyon in May 2023 and a series of controversial tweets accusing tennis authorities of conspiring against him.
Despite the setbacks, Ymer’s return to social media and tennis has been met with enthusiasm from fans and fellow players. He will be eligible to return to competition in January 2025, and his comeback is eagerly anticipated by the tennis world.
