PARIS: There will be no flags or fanfare for Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Olympics but Russia's highest-profile athlete is unlikely to shy away from the headlines in the French capital.
The tennis star, along with other Russians and Belarusians at the Games, must compete as neutrals after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
They are allowed to compete, showing that they do not support the war and have nothing to do with the military, but they cannot fly their national flag.
The national anthems of the two countries are also banned and if Medvedev were to win an Olympic medal for the first time, the achievement would not be recognized on the medal table.
“When I'm 40 years old, if I can say that I played in the Tokyo Olympics, the Paris Olympics and the Los Angeles Olympics, I had a lot of fun in my life, in my career, I will be happy,” Medvedev said.
The 28-year-old world No. 5 is one of the most controversial players in tennis.
The 1.98m (6ft 6in) giant came close to being disqualified in his Wimbledon semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz this month when he escaped a warning for abusing the chair umpire.
Medvedev said he called the official a “little cat”.
His explosive nature has seen him clash with rivals Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.
In Miami in 2018, after Tsitsipas made offhand comments about Medvedev, the Russian dismissed the Greek as “a little kid who doesn't know how to play.”
His rivalry with Zverev peaked in Monte Carlo last year when Medvedev saved two match points in a tense last-16 win.
Germany's Zverev criticized Medvedev for taking a bathroom break at a crucial moment in the tie and blasted the Russian as “one of the most unfair players in the world”.
Medvedev fired back, telling the current world No. 4 to “look at yourself in the mirror.”
In the Netflix series “Breakpoint”, Zverev accused Medvedev of playing a “dirty game” and added: “He's someone who knows how to play with the opponent's head.”
Crowds around the world have not escaped Medvedev's wrath.
At the Paris Masters last year, he called fans “stupid” for joking during one of his matches.
Although he suggested he stop his game, he agreed to continue, but warned his tormentors to “Shut your mouth, all right!”
Despite his fiery personality, Medvedev, who plays chess and speaks fluent French, has reached the pinnacle of the sport.
At the 2021 US Open he claimed his only major title, easily defeating Novak Djokovic in the final and denying 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 has come agonizingly close to adding to his major collection.
In this year's Australian Open final, he surrendered a two-set lead, losing to Janic Sinner.
Two years ago in Melbourne, he led Rafael Nadal in two sets and lost in five.
Nadal also defeated him in another five-setter in the 2019 US Open final.
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 in 18 years to hold the top spot, apart from Djokovic, Federer, Murray and Nadal.
At the Paris Olympics, which open on Friday, Medvedev believes he will have his best chance at a medal in doubles, rather than singles, on a clay-court surface that is often foreign to his sport.
“I'm going to prepare a lot for doubles and mixed doubles because I believe I have more chances at Roland Garros than in singles,” he said.
