Mikael Ymer retires from tennis suddenly after lengthy 18 month doping ban despite protesting innocence

Mikael Ymer has announced his retirement from professional tennis just over a month after receiving a suspension from the ITF for missing three doping tests.

The 24-year-old Swedish player has been a prominent figure in his country's tennis scene in recent years, achieving a career-high ranking of world No. 50.

Since 2019, Ymer has been the highest-ranked Swedish tennis player, and he's been the only one to consistently stay in the top 100 since the time of the 2-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling.

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Ymer took to his social media accounts to announce his decision to retire from professional tennis, a mere five weeks after his suspension for missing three doping tests:

“Hey guys, I've decided to retire from professional Tennis. Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it's been! I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. God is Great always,” Ymer wrote.

Ymer explained that the issue he faced was not related to using prohibited substances but rather missing the doping tests unintentionally because they were conducted at times when he wasn't present at the specified location:

“In January 2022, the ITF charged me with a potential anti-doping rule violation for having 3 missed out of competition test attempts in a 12-month period. I fought that charge at a hearing, and was cleared by an independent tribunal of 3 arbitrators in June of 2022."

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He also mentioned, “I understand that these rules have been put in place to protect the integrity of our sport, and that they are there for a reason. However, I do not believe I broke those rules, and my conscience is clear with God as my witness.”

During his career, Ymer did not secure any singles titles but reached the final of the ATP 250 Winston-Salem Open in 2021, where he lost to Ilya Ivashka. In Grand Slam events, he reached the third round of the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon, but never progressed beyond the first round at the US Open.