PARIS: There will be no flags or celebrations for Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Olympics, but it seems unlikely that Russia's best athlete will make headlines in the French capital.
The tennis star and other Russians and Belarusians were forced to compete as neutrals after Moscow invaded Ukraine.
They were allowed to compete, but were not allowed to fly the flag, as they had proven that they did not support the war and had no ties to the military.
The national anthems of both countries are also banned, and even if Medvedev wins his first Olympic medal, the feat will not be counted in the medal standings.
“If I can say at 40 that I competed in the Tokyo Olympics, the Paris Olympics and the Los Angeles Olympics, then I have enjoyed a lot in my life and career and I will be happy,” Medvedev said.
The 28-year-old world number five is one of the most controversial players in tennis.
The 1.98m (6ft 6in) giant almost got disqualified in his Wimbledon semi-final match against Carlos Alcaraz this month after swearing at the referee, but got away with just a yellow card.
Medvedev described the official as a “little cat.”
His explosive temperament has also led to feuds with rivals Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.
After Tsitsipas hurled insults at Medvedev in Miami in 2018, Russia denigrated the Greek as a “child who doesn’t know how to have fun”.
The rivalry with Zverev reached its peak in Monte Carlo last year, when Medvedev saved two match points in a tense last-16 win.
Germany's Zverev criticised Medvedev for taking a bathroom break at a crucial moment in the match, calling the Russian “one of the most unfair players in the world”.
Medvedev fired back, telling the current world number four to “look at yourself in the mirror”.
In the Netflix series 'Breakpoint', Zverev accused Medvedev of playing a “dirty game”, adding: “He's a guy who knows how to play with someone's head.”
Crowds around the world could not escape Medvedev's wrath.
At last year's Paris Masters, he called fans who booed during the match “idiots”.
He offered to stop the game but agreed to continue, warning the bullies to “keep your mouths shut, okay?”
Despite his passionate personality, Medvedev enjoys playing chess and speaks fluent French, and has risen to the top of the sport.
He won his only major title at the 2021 US Open, easily defeating Novak Djokovic in the final to deny the Serbian a rare calendar Grand Slam.
Medvedev, true to his eccentric nature, celebrated his victory in New York by collapsing on the Arthur Ashe Stadium floor and mimicking the “dead fish” celebration scene from the FIFA video game.
Medvedev came awfully close to equalling his major record.
In this year's Australian Open final, he lost to Yannick Sinner after giving up a two-set lead.
Two years ago in Melbourne, he opened a two-set lead against Rafael Nadal but again lost in five sets.
Nadal also won the 2019 US Open final, beating him in a close five-set battle.
Medvedev is one of six men to have won six or more Masters titles outside of a Grand Slam, joining Djokovic, Roger Federer, Nadal, Andre Agassi and Andy Murray.
He held the world number one ranking for 16 weeks in 2022, the first male player other than Djokovic, Federer, Murray and Nadal to hold the top spot in 18 years.
At the Paris Olympics, which open on Friday, Medvedev believes his best chance of winning a medal is in doubles rather than singles. He plays on clay, which is often far from his style of play.
“I will prepare a lot because I believe I will have more opportunities in the doubles and mixed doubles than in the singles at Roland Garros,” he said.
