PARIS: There will be no flags and fanfare for Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Olympics, but the Russian star is unlikely to be out of the headlines in the French capital.
The tennis star, along with other Russians and Belarusians, must compete as a neutral in the Games following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
After showing that they did not support the war and had no connection with the military, they were allowed to compete but could not fly their national flag.
The national anthems of the two countries are also prohibited, and if Medvedev wins an Olympic medal for the first time, this achievement will not be recognized in the medal table.
“When I turn 40, I will be happy if I can say that I played in the Tokyo Olympics, the Paris Olympics and the Los Angeles Olympics, that I had a lot of fun in my life, in my career,” Medvedev said.
The 28-year-old world number 5 is one of the most controversial tennis players.
The 1.98m (6ft 6in) giant was close to being banned from his Wimbledon semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz this month for swearing at the chair umpire before escaping with a warning.
Medvedev explained that he called this official a “little cat”.
His explosive temper has made him enmity with his rivals Stephanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.
In Miami in 2018, the Russian dismissed the Greek as “a little kid who doesn't know how to play” after Tsitsipas made disparaging remarks about Medvedev.
His rivalry with Zverev culminated in Monte Carlo last year, when Medvedev saved two match points in a tense round of 16 victory.
German Zverev criticized Medvedev for taking a bathroom break at a key moment in the tie and criticized Russia as “one of the most unfair players in the world”.
“Look at yourself in the mirror,” Medvedev responded, telling the current world No.4.
On Netflix's “Breaking Point,” Zverev accused Medvedev of playing “dirty games,” adding, “He's someone who knows how to play with the opponent's head.”
People around the world have not been spared from Medvedev's wrath.
At last year's Paris Masters, he called fans “stupid” for taunting him during one of his matches.
Despite suggesting that he stop playing, he agreed to continue, but warned his tormentors: “Shut up, okay!”
Despite his fiery personality, Medvedev, a chess player and fluent in French, has reached the pinnacle of the sport.
He won his only major title at the 2021 US Open, easily defeating Novak Djokovic in the final, denying the Serb a rare calendar Grand Slam.
True to his unorthodox nature, Medvedev celebrated his victory in New York by falling to the Arthur Ashe Stadium floor and mimicking the “dead fish” celebration in a FIFA video game.
Medvedev is very close to adding to his string collection.
In the Australian Open final this year, he lost to Janic Siner in two sets.
Two years ago in Melbourne, he beat Rafael Nadal in two sets and lost in five sets.
Nadal also beat him in the 2019 US Open final with another 5 sets.
Away from 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 spends 16 weeks as world No. 1 in 2022, he becomes the first man 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 to win a medal will be in doubles rather than singles, on the clay surface that has often been alien to his game.
“I will prepare a lot for doubles and mixed because I believe I have a better chance there than in singles at Roland Garros,” he said.
