Mikael Ymer strikes umpire's chair in anger after controversial line call, gets disqualified immediately from Lyon Open

Mikael Ymer was disqualified from the Lyon Open after striking the umpire's chair in anger during his second round match against Arthur Fils.

Ymer pulled off a big win against Richard Gasquet in the first round, 6-3, 7-5, to set up a Round of 16 clash against Fils.

The Swede went down a break early, but managed to take the lead back at 4-3. He saved three break points in the ninth game of the first set, but failed to convert a set point in the tenth game.

In the 11th game, a return by Fils fell close to the line and was called in, which Ymer disputed. However, the chair umpire refused to get down from his chair to check the mark.

The umpire said that Ymer's reaction was too late for him to come on the court and check the mark, but the Swede argued:

"Yesterday I hit a serve against Gasquet, he walked over to the other side and he was still allowed to ask for a mark to be checked. I hit this ball, and you're telling me you're not even gonna come down and check the mark?"

"I have never witnessed that a ref says: I'm not gonna come down and check the mark. It doesn't happen," Mikael Ymer pleaded.

The umpire didn't give in to Ymer's request, who was broken later in the same game. The Swede was infuriated and unleashed his anger on the umpire's chair, striking it repeatedly with his racket.

This reaction was enough to warrant an immediate disqualification after the supervisor came to the court, sending Arthur Fils through to the third round of the Lyon Open, where he will face Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Mikael Ymer: "Not interested in being loved by everyone"

Mikael Ymer

Mikael Ymer is not afraid to be himself, as he admitted in an interview with SVT Sport in 2022.

The Swedish No. 1 stated that he cared more about the opinions of those who have met him in person and know him well.

"I am not interested in being loved by everyone or a role model for everyone," Ymer told SVT Sport. "I'm more interested in someone who met me in person, as a child at SALK (tennis club in Stockholm). If someone who has actually met me would have an opinion about me, then I would have called and said 'Hey, it hurts me that you got this opinion, there must have been something'."

Mikael Ymer is currently ranked 53rd in the world and has a 3-2 win-loss ratio since the start of this year's clay court swing (including results at the Bordeaux Challenger).