# Mikael Ymer
**Mikael Ymer** (born 1998) is a Swedish professional tennis player whose career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 50, reached on 17 April 2023, made him the first Swede to break into the Top 50 since [Robin Söderling](https://www.edgepedia.org/robin-soderling) in May 2012.[1](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mikael-ymer/y268/overview) • [2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) He turned professional in 2015, plays right-handed, and is the younger brother of [ATP Tour](https://www.edgepedia.org/atp-tour) player Elias Ymer.[3](https://www.tennis.com/players-rankings/mikael-ymer) • [2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1998, Sweden; right-handed; turned pro 2015[3](https://www.tennis.com/players-rankings/mikael-ymer) |
| Career high | ATP singles No. 50 (17 April 2023), first Swede in the Top 50 since Söderling in May 2012[1](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mikael-ymer/y268/overview) • [2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) |
| Best ATP final | 2021 Winston-Salem, where he beat future World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal and lost the final to Ilya Ivashka[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) |
| Doubles title | 2016 Stockholm Open with brother Elias, as unranked wildcards, beating Pavić/Venus 6-1 6-1[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) |
| Junior record | Junior peak of No. 3, a 98-33 win-loss record, and the 2015 Wimbledon boys' final[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) |
| Suspension | 18-month anti-doping ban from the International Tennis Integrity Agency for three missed tests; returned in January 2025[4](https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/ymer-makes-winning-return-after-18-month-anti-doping-ban/) |
| Family | Father Wondwosen was a professional runner; mother Kelem is a doctor; parents are from Ethiopia[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) |
## Family and background
Ymer began playing tennis at age 3 to be like his older brother Elias, who also plays on the ATP Tour. His father, Wondwosen, was a professional runner and his mother, Kelem is a doctor; his parents are from Ethiopia, and he has a third brother, Rafael. He speaks Ethiopian, Swedish, and English, and his favorite surface is clay.[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) A Court of Arbitration for Sport award describes him as being from Skara, Sweden.[5](https://www.itia.tennis/media/x23iwrv1/cas-decision-my-9033.pdf)
## Junior career
As a junior Ymer peaked at No. 3 in the world and compiled a 98-33 record, with a run to the 2015 Wimbledon boys' final and wins over future Top-10 ATP players Felix Auger-Aliassime, Hubert Hurkacz, Casper Ruud, and [Denis Shapovalov](https://www.edgepedia.org/denis-shapovalov).[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio)
## Professional career
**Breakthrough.** Ymer broke into the Top 100 and competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019.[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) In 2021 he defeated the future World No. 1 [Carlos Alcaraz](https://www.edgepedia.org/carlos-alcaraz) at Winston-Salem to reach his first ATP final, becoming the first Swedish singles finalist since Söderling ended his career as the 2011 Båstad champion; he lost the final to Ilya Ivashka.[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio)
**Peak period.** From 13 September 2022 to 4 February 2023 he posted a 26-10 record in matches across all levels, highlighted by the biggest win of his career over No. 11 [Jannik Sinner](https://www.edgepedia.org/jannik-sinner) in the Davis Cup Finals group stage.[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) His ranking peaked at No. 50 in April 2023.[1](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mikael-ymer/y268/overview) His joint-best [Grand Slam](https://www.edgepedia.org/grand-slam-tennis) results were third-round appearances at the 2021 [Australian Open](https://www.edgepedia.org/australian-open), at Roland Garros in 2021 and 2022, and at Wimbledon for the first time in 2023.[4](https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/ymer-makes-winning-return-after-18-month-anti-doping-ban/)
**Doubles.** In 2016 he captured the Stockholm doubles title with his older brother Elias as an unranked wildcard pair, defeating Nikola Pavić and Michael Venus 6-1 6-1 in the final. The brothers were 18 and 20 years old at the time, and a younger brother pair had never before won an ATP doubles title.[2](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio) • [6](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/73EO2o)
## Davis Cup
Ymer has been a mainstay of the Swedish Davis Cup team. In the 2021 Finals in Turin he and Elias won both singles rubbers to give Sweden a victory over 2019 finalists Canada, with Mikael beating [Vasek Pospisil](https://www.edgepedia.org/vasek-pospisil) 6-4 6-4.[7](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/ymer-brothers-lead-sweden-to-victory-over-canada) • [8](https://as.com/tenis/2021/11/25/copa_davis/1637860898_110575.html) In February 2023 he saw seven-time champions Sweden through a qualifier against [Bosnia and Herzegovina](https://www.edgepedia.org/bosnia-and-herzegovina) with a 6-1 1-6 6-3 win over Damir Džumhur, firing 22 winners in the deciding singles match.[9](https://www.gulf-times.com/pdf/2023/02/06/sport-20230206-1.pdf?ts=005942) After his suspension he returned to the Swedish team for the January 2025 Qualifier against Australia in Stockholm.[4](https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/ymer-makes-winning-return-after-18-month-anti-doping-ban/)
## Anti-doping suspension and return
Ymer was selected for the International Registered Testing Pool with effect from 1 January 2020, and three Whereabouts Failures were recorded against him within twelve months, on 22 April 2021, 10 August 2021, and 7 November 2021. The third case involved a doping control officer who went to the hotel listed in Ymer's whereabouts filing in Roanne, France, on 7 November 2021 and found he was not registered there; Ymer contested the failure, arguing the tournament organizer had moved him to a different hotel and his agent had not updated the filing. The ITF referred the case to the [Court of Arbitration for Sport](https://www.edgepedia.org/court-of-arbitration-for-sport) (CAS 2022/A/9033).[5](https://www.itia.tennis/media/x23iwrv1/cas-decision-my-9033.pdf)
The International Tennis Integrity Agency banned him for 18 months for missing three out-of-competition doping tests. Ymer briefly announced his retirement from the sport in July 2023 shortly after the ban, before deciding to resume his career at the end of the suspension.[4](https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/ymer-makes-winning-return-after-18-month-anti-doping-ban/)
**Comeback.** In January 2025, at age 26, he returned on the ITF World Tennis Tour and won his first event back at M25 Esch/Alzette, defeating the current junior world No. 1 Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 6-1 5-7 6-2 for his first professional singles crown since 2019.[4](https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/ymer-makes-winning-return-after-18-month-anti-doping-ban/) In July 2025 he played his first ATP Tour match since 2023 at Båstad, beating Tristan Boyer before losing to [Botic van de Zandschulp](https://www.edgepedia.org/botic-van-de-zandschulp) 6-4 6-1 in the next round.[10](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/2560R4) • [11](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/mPmnev)
## References
1. [Mikael Ymer – Overview, ATP Tour](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mikael-ymer/y268/overview)
2. [Mikael Ymer – Bio, ATP Tour](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/Mikael_Ymer/Y268/bio)
3. [Mikael Ymer – Tennis.com player page](https://www.tennis.com/players-rankings/mikael-ymer)
4. [Ymer makes winning return after 18-month anti-doping ban, ITF (27 January 2025)](https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/ymer-makes-winning-return-after-18-month-anti-doping-ban/)
5. [CAS 2022/A/9033 International Tennis Federation (ITF) v. Mikael Ymer, Court of Arbitration for Sport award](https://www.itia.tennis/media/x23iwrv1/cas-decision-my-9033.pdf)
6. [Mikael Ymers frustration: "Ingen har någonsin kontaktat dem", Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/73EO2o)
7. [Ymer brothers lead Sweden to victory over Canada, Davis Cup](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/ymer-brothers-lead-sweden-to-victory-over-canada)
8. [Los Ymer le dan a Suecia el primer triunfo de las Finales, AS](https://as.com/tenis/2021/11/25/copa_davis/1637860898_110575.html)
9. [Gulf Times sport section, 6 February 2023](https://www.gulf-times.com/pdf/2023/02/06/sport-20230206-1.pdf?ts=005942)
10. [Avbrott i Båstad – Ymer vidare, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/2560R4)
11. [Bröderna Ymer utslagna i Båstad, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/mPmnev)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Racket and precision ball sports › Tennis › Tennis players and seasons › Individual tennis player biographies › Nordic and Baltic tennis player biographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license