At 16, he broke through, became Sweden's number one and made his debut in the Davis Cup context.
Twelve years later, Elias Ymer is getting ready for a new DC adventure – and simultaneously states that "it's more fun to play in the top league".
Feels at Home in Stockholm
This is also what's at stake when Sweden faces India in the Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm this weekend.
The winner will qualify for the final.
I'd say it's pretty even, he says.
It's nice and good that we got a home game. It would have been tough in India, playing on grass, hot... Ugh. I don't even want to think about it. But in Stockholm, we feel at home.
Ymer says the players got to decide where the match would be played.
And for the 28-year-old, the choice was easy.
I love this arena.
The Swede is also happy to be on home soil. After six weeks in the USA with training and matches – including qualifying for the Grand Slam tournament US Open in New York – he's in a place where he has delivered good tennis earlier in his career.
With an upward trend, he hopes for new victories.
I thought it would happen in the US Open, but I'll get a "late effect" now at the end of the year instead.
"Advantage"
Captain Simon Aspelin dares to stick his neck out a bit further than Elias Ymer and says that Sweden has a good chance of winning against India.
Part of his early thoughts about the outcome is based on the fact that the opponent is missing its best player, Sumit Nagal.
It's an advantage for us, he says.
I think it feels very good, we have home advantage and Leo (Borg), Elias, and the others have played well on this center court before. It's a good gut feeling.
What: Match in the second division, World Group 1, and the winner qualifies for the final.
Where: Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm.
When: The first match on Saturday starts at 2:00 PM and on Sunday, play begins at 12:00 PM.
Prior meetings: Sweden has faced India five times – and won all of them. The last time, in 2005 in New Delhi, it was a 3–1 victory.
Matches, Saturday: Elias Ymer–Siriram Balaji, Leo Borg–Ramkumar Ramanathan. Sunday: Filip Bergevi/André Göransson–Balaji/Ramanathan, Ymer–Ramanathan, Borg–Balaji.
