Paris: There will be no flags or fanfare for Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Olympics, but Russia’s most high-profile athlete in the French capital is unlikely to be far from the headlines.
The tennis star, along with other Russians and Belarusians, must compete as neutrals at the Games following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
After proving that they did not support the war and have no ties to the military, they are allowed to compete but cannot fly their national flags.
The national anthems of both countries are also banned, and if Medvedev wins an Olympic medal for the first time, the achievement will not be recognized in the medal table.
“When I turn 40, if I can say that I played in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles, I had a lot of fun in my life, in my career, I will be happy,” said Medvedev.
The 28-year-old world number five is one of the most controversial female tennis players.
The 1.98m (6ft 6in) giant came close to being disqualified from his Wimbledon semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz this month for swearing at the presiding umpire before escaping with a warning.
Medvedev explained that he called the official a “little cat”.
His explosive temper led him to feuds with rivals Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.
In Miami in 2018, after Tsitsipas made a rude remark about Medvedev, the Russian dismissed the Greek as “a little kid who can’t play”.
His rivalry with Zverev came to a head in Monte Carlo last year when Medvedev saved two match points in a thrilling last 16 win.
Germany’s Zverev attacked Medvedev for taking a bathroom break at a key moment in the tie, calling the Russian “one of the most unfair players in the world”.
Medvedev hit back and told the current world number four to look at herself in the mirror.
In the Netflix series “Break Point”, Zverev accused Medvedev of playing “dirty games”, adding: “He is someone who knows how to play with the opponent’s head”.
Crowds around the world did not escape Medvedev’s wrath.
At the Paris Masters last year, he called fans “stupid” for jeers during one of his matches.
Despite suggestions that he stop his match, he agreed to continue, but warned his tormentors to “shut up, okay!”
Despite his fiery personality, the chess-playing and fluent French-speaking Medvedev reached the pinnacle of the sport.
He won his only major title at the 2021 US Open, easily defeating Novak Djokovic in the final to deny the Serb a rare calendar Grand Slam.
True to his unorthodox nature, Medvedev celebrated his New York victory by falling to the floor of Arthur Ashe Stadium and mimicking the “dead fish” celebration from the FIFA video game.
Medvedev came agonizingly close to expanding his collection of majors.
In this year’s Australian Open final, he gave up a two-set lead and lost to Jannik Sinner.
Two years ago in Melbourne, he opened a two-set lead over Rafael Nadal, but again lost in five.
Nadal also overcame another five-setter in the 2019 US Open final.
Outside of the Slams, Medvedev is one of only six men to win six or more Masters titles, joining Djokovic, Roger Federer, Nadal, Andre Agassi and Andy Murray.
When he spent 16 weeks as world number one in 2022, he became the first man besides Djokovic, Federer, Murray and Nadal to reach the top spot in 18 years.
Medvedev believes his best chance of a medal at the Paris Olympics, which begin on Friday, will be in doubles rather than singles, on a clay surface that has often been foreign to his game. “I will prepare a lot for doubles and mixed doubles because I believe I have more chances there than in singles at Roland Garros,” he said.
