Swedish star slams tennis body over ‘unfair’ treatment following lengthy ban

Shahida Jacobs
Mikael Ymer disqualified
Mikael Ymer disqualified

Sweden’s Mikael Ymer has lashed out at tennis’ anti-doping body after he copped a lengthy ban “despite never having used nor been accused of using banned substances”.

Just over a fortnight after producing one if the best results of his career as he stunned ninth seed Taylor Fritz in the second round at Wimbledon, Ymer has effectively been banned from competing for 18 months.

The 24-year-old climbed to a career-best 51 in the ATP Rankings on the back of his run to the third round, but his future is now in limbo following the suspension as he will remain inactive until January 2025.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) – a body set up by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), ATP, WTA, and the four Grand Slam tournaments (the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open) – has slapped the Swede with an 18-month ban for breaching anti-doping regulations.

Ymer missed three out-of-competition tests over a 12-month period and was suspended, but he appealed the decision and cleared by an independent body.

However the ITIA then took the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and overturned the decision to clear him and banned him for 18 months.

The Swede took to Twitter to express his unhappiness as he slammed the ITF, although it was the ITIA who were leading the case against him.

“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,” he wrote.

“I fought that charge at a hearing, and was cleared by an independent tribunal of 3 arbitrators in June of 2022. The ITF appealed that decision despite the fact that the 3 independent arbitrators who cleared me were appointed under its own rules, and asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to reach a different decision on the same facts under which I had already been cleared.

“Yesterday, I learned that the Court of Arbitration for Sports has suspended me from professional tennis for 18 months, despite never having used nor been accused of using banned substances. Having already been cleared once, and wholeheartedly standing by the fact that I do not feel that the 3rd offence was committed, I find their decision to try me again and subsequently find me guilty, unfair. On top of that, I find it difficult to comprehend that they found an 18 month suspension to be a just punishment.

“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.”

READ MORE: Tennis player cops big fine, docked ranking points after disgraceful incident