Elias Ymer hasn’t won a single title on the professional circuit since 2018. The Swede’s ATP Ranking has also taken a hit as he, once ranked as high as 105, is currently out of the Top 300. However, despite the lull in on-court achievements, the sport did help him make a significant addition to his life.
The 28-year-old can proudly tell people that he went to Harvard Business School.
Along with 10 other athletes, Ymer was accepted as a student for the “Crossover into Business” program in 2022. “If you’re playing on the ATP Tour, they choose two to three players every year. I was lucky to be selected and to have it on my CV is a very big thing.
“When people ask you about it, you get a lot of respect. Maybe it’s nothing in Sweden where we come from but as soon as I’m in America and people see that I’ve been to Harvard, it is very good,” Ymer told Sportstar on the sidelines of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger.
Ymer was born to Ethiopian immigrants in Skara, one of the oldest cities in Sweden with a long educational history. His mother, Kelem, is a doctor while his father, Wondwosen, is an industrial worker.
Ymer did not go to high school. So, Harvard is a big educational milestone for him.
As far as tennis is concerned, Ymer had a rough 2024 season. He made the final of one Challenger event in Portugal and also qualified for Wimbledon’s main draw but overall, he had a win-loss record of 24-32 at all levels. He finished the year as World No. 327, his worst since 2013 (769) when he earned his first ATP point.
“I’ve been around the Top 200 or inside it for almost 10 years, so it’s been pretty solid. But last year was pretty tough. And that’s life. Sometimes, you have a difficult year. The most important thing is how you regroup and come back from these things.
“With good preparation and this being my first tournament of the year, I’m very happy to be in the semifinal,” said Ymer after his 6-2, 6-3 win over Japan’s Rio Noguchi.
“I didn’t go to Australia for the first time (actually, second) in 10 years because I didn’t make the cut. I had some more time to really train. And that’s why I started my first tournament (Chennai Open) pretty late. I’ve never done a long pre-season like this. I feel I’m pretty fresh,” he added.
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Despite the dip in form, he is still the Swedish No.1 since his younger brother, Mikael — who was ranked as high as 50 in 2023 — just returned from an 18-month suspension for missing three out-of-competition dope tests during a 12-month period.
Ymer has six Challenger titles to his name with the last one coming in Pune in 2018. The Swede hopes that the Indian swing of four straight Challengers, starting from Chennai, can help him regain lost form and perhaps, have a crack at breaking into the top 100 for the first time.
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