Mikael Ymer could return to competition at the end of January (Image: Getty)
Mikael Ymer is set to play his first tournament after serving an 18-month suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.
The former world No. 50 was charged in January 2022 with missing three out-of-competition tests in a 12-month period. He was ultimately
Ymer , but he has since changed his mind and could return to competition later this month.
The Swedish tennis star is expected to represent his nation in their Davis Cup tie against Australia from January 31 to February 2.
“The plan is for him to be involved. He is training right now. He has been doing that for quite some time now,” Simon Aspelin, the Swedish Tennis Association’s sports manager, told .
The Swedish Davis Cup team must submit the first draft of their squad by January 6. However, Ymer’s suspension does not expire until January 17.
The team plans to sub him later, once his ban has ended. The decision to include Ymer in Sweden’s Davis Cup squad comes months after he U-turned on retirement.
Mikael Ymer’s last tournament before his ban was Wimbledon in 2023, where he upset Taylor Fritz (Image: Getty)
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Shortly after receiving his 18-month suspension, the 26-year-old announced he would end his career.
“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,” he wrote in August 2023.
However, last April he changed his mind and tweeted: “Retirement was boring. See u in 8 months.”
Ymer has reportedly been training regularly in Stockholm with top Swedish players. Aspelin has been in “continuous contact” with the 26-year-old, though he has not seen Ymer play recently.
The Australian team will be tough to beat, as the nation boasts top singles and doubles players, including ATP No. 9 Alex de Minaur and Olympic gold medallists Matthew Ebden and John Peers.
Aspelin believes that Ymer will be crucial to improving Sweden’s chances of winning the tie. He continued: “The plan is to see a little more in the coming weeks now that it’s getting closer to the game.
“It strengthens the team a lot. Mikael was a strong factor in Sweden going to the Davis Cup finals three times in a row. He has been extremely stable in the Davis Cup context, just like his brother Elias.
“Mikael is our best player and he can compete with the best players, that’s for sure. It is important to have him in the team”
Ymer’s older brother Elias is currently the top-ranked Swedish man at No. 327 in the world. He is also expected to compete in the tie.