Mikael Ymer is a Swedish professional tennis player who is adept at the singles format of the sport having been rated as high as world number 50 in April 2023, as per the official ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals – the governing body of men’s professional tennis) rankings. He was the 1st Swedish player since May 2012 to have broken into the ‘Top 50’ of the official ATP singles rankings. At Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open/French Open/Wimbledon Championship/US Open), in the singles format, Mikael’s best performance, as of August 2023, was reaching the 3rd round each of the 2021 Australian Open, the 2021 French Open, the 2022 French Open, and also the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
Although not very proficient in the doubles format, his sole title on the ATP Tour (a worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men organized by the ATP), as of August 2023, was the doubles event at the Stockholm Open (an ATP Tour 250 (the lowest tier of tournaments on the ATP Tour) event) in October 2016. Mikael’s partner in that tournament was his older brother – Elias Ymer. As of August 2023, this was also the only title (singles or doubles) won by Elias on the ATP Tour.
Born Name
Mikael Wondwosen Yemer
Nick Name
Mike
Mikael Ymer as seen in an Instagram Post in July 2023 (Info Tennis / Instagram)
Sun Sign
Virgo
Born Place
Skara, Västra Götaland County, Sweden
Residence
Stockholm, Sweden
Nationality
Occupation
Professional Tennis Player
Mikael Ymer as seen in an Instagram Post in October 2022 (Tennis 365 / Instagram)
Family
Father – Yemer Wondwosen (Dairy Company Worker, Professional Runner (Retired))
Mother – Kelemework Elias Yigletu (Doctor)
Siblings – Elias Ymer (Older Brother) (Professional Tennis Player), Rafael Ymer (Younger Brother) (Tennis Player)
Plays
Right-Handed (Two-Handed Backhand)
Turned Pro
2015
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
75 kg or 165.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Black
He is of Ethiopian descent.
Mikael Ymer as seen in an Instagram Post in August 2019 (Black Spin Global / Instagram)
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Toned physique
Dreadlocked hair
Sports a thin goatee
Brand Endorsements
He has been sponsored by Adidas AG, a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing, and accessories.
Mikael Ymer Favorite Things
Tennis Shot – Backhand
Tennis Surface – Clay
Tennis Tournaments/Events – Stockholm Open, Swedish Open
Mikael Ymer as seen in an Instagram Post in September 2022 (Tennisist / Instagram)
Mikael Ymer Facts
Mikael began playing tennis when he was just about 3 years old – inspired by his older brother Elias (also a future professional tennis player). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the brothers played an exhibition match to support the global COVID-19 emergency relief fund established by the International Red Cross (a humanitarian movement that was founded to protect human life and health).
He first came into the spotlight in 2015 when he reached the final of the singles event of the Junior Wimbledon Championships. Mikael had achieved a peak world junior ranking of number 3.
At the 2021 Winston-Salem Open (an ATP Tour 250 event), he reached the singles semi-final of an ATP Tour-level event for the first time in his career. There, he defeated 15th seed & future world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz and became the first Swedish player since 2011 to have reached the singles final of an ATP Tour-level event.
Mikael lost the final of this tournament in straight sets in 56 minutes. As of August 2023, this remained his only appearance in the singles final of a tournament on the ATP Tour.
At the 2022 Citi Open, he reached the quarter-final stage of the singles section of an ATP Tour 500 (the 4th-highest tier of tournaments on the ATP Tour) event for the first time in his career.
There, Mikael defeated Sebastian Korda in 3 sets to advance to the semi-final stage where he lost to eventual champion Nick Kyrgios in straight sets. This performance helped him move nearly 40 positions up the official ATP singles rankings – to number 77.
In July 2023, he reached the 3rd round of the Wimbledon Championships for the first time in his career. He had defeated 9th seed and then world number 9 Taylor Fritz in the 2nd round in 5 sets – after being 2 sets down. Mikael was ranked 59th in the world at that time and this was his first win ever over a player ranked within the ‘Top 10’ of the official ATP singles rankings.
Later that month, he was suspended for 18 months after he had missed 3 out-of-competition doping test attempts in 12 months. Although Mikael proclaimed innocence, his suspension was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration (a form of dispute resolution that settles matters outside judicial courts).
A polyglot, Mikael is fluent in Ethiopian, Swedish, and English.
