Nick Kyrgios: "Mikael Ymer is one of the nicest guys on tour and he shouldn't be banned"
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has voiced his disapproval of Mikael Ymer's recent 18-month suspension from the sport, calling it 'ridiculous'. Kyrgios extended his support to the Swedish player, emphasizing that Ymer is one of the kindest individuals on the tour.
Unfortunately, Kyrgios is currently sidelined with a wrist injury, which led to his withdrawal from the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. In 2022, he reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon but was defeated by Novak Djokovic in a four-set battle. Throughout his career, Kyrgios has gained more attention for his off-court antics, earning him a reputation as a 'bad boy' of tennis.
Earlier this month, Mikael Ymer, Sweden's top men's tennis player was suspended from professional tennis for 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over a potential anti-doping charge against him. Following the controversy Ymer took to social media to vent his frustration and disappointment in the verdict he deemed as unjust.
"It feels like a bad dream. I don't think justice has been served." Ymer wrote in one of his tweets.
The 28-year-old Australian recently hosted a Q&A session on his Instagram story, wherein he responded to several fans and their questions. One of Kyrgios' followers on the platform asked for his thoughts on Mikael Ymer and his suspension from tennis, to which the Aussie replied in support of the Swede:
"Ridiculous. Ymer is one of the nicest guys on the tour and he shouldn't be banned."
"Tour will be better when we are both back" - Nick Kyrgios labels Rafael Nadal as his 'biggest rival', along with two other players
In the Q&A session, one of Kyrgios' followers on the platform asked if he wanted Rafael Nadal to return from his injury, to which the Aussie heartily replied:
"The tour will be better when we are both back"
Another follower of the 2022 Wimbledon finalist, asked him to name his biggest rival on tour. In response to the question, Kyrgios named Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka to be his biggest competitors.
"Tsitsipas. Nadal. Wawrinka," he answered on his Instagram story.
Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios last competed against each other at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters, where the Spanish veteran triumphed, increasing his lead over the Australian by a 6-3 margin. The 28-year-old has publicly shown his appreciation for the 22-time Grand Slam champion, hailing him as the greatest of all time.
"He is the greatest of all time," Nick Kyrgios stated in an episode of Netflix's Break Point.