Mikael Ymer received an invitation to the Swedish Open, but was nobbed by Sverigeettan.
Now he explains why – with a comparison to Zlatan.
– It is the same reason why Zlatan does not play in the Allsvenskan, he says to Tennisportalen.
The Swedish Open is hotter than many are and when the competition is decided later this summer, star shots like the Norwegian Casper Ruud, and the Dane Holger Rune, will be in place. They both went far in the French Open earlier in the summer, and in Sweden you are also joined by world number eight Andrei Rublyov.
Compare with Zlatan
But missing do the best Swedes. Mikael Ymer is Sweden-number one but not really qualified for the tournament. But he got a wildcard invitation that he nobbed. It has been unclear why, but now he has finally answered.
At the same time as he plays the first rounds of this year’s Wimbledon, he answers why he nobs the competition at home, and he does it in the most cocky way.
– The reason why I do not play in Båstad is the same reason why Zlatan does not play in the Allsvenskan, says Mikael Ymer to Tennisportalen.
The answer to the criticism
Ymer’s decision to nob the competition has been met with enormous criticism in sports Sweden, and not least from Aftonbladet’s Marcus Leifby, who in a column called it “totally fucking hubris”, and that it is “directly indecent and unworthy not just Swedish tennis, without Swedish sports movement ”.
But Ymer does not address the criticism.
– I am a person who is good at separating jobs and personal. Sure, he was personal, he was, but I also understand that he needs something to sell. It is Aftonbladet and not DN (Dagens nyheter). Had he done it in a nice way, it will not click. I’m sure he would have asked for a picture if he had met me in person. That’s all right, I’m just in love with him. Is his name Marcus ?, he says.
Ymer’s latest move has caused sports Sweden to react further, and criticism of the star is hailed. Not least because Ymer is de facto ranked 90th in the world, and thus was not even qualified for the Swedish Open, if it were not for a wildcard.
“Ymer answers with perhaps one of the most unrealistic answers in Swedish sports history,” writes Andreas Johnsson, reporter at GP.
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