No flags but plenty of fire for Medvedev at Paris Olympics

PARIS: There will be no flags or fanfare for Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Olympics but Russia's highest-profile athlete in the French capital is unlikely to be far from the headlines.

The tennis star, along with other Russians and Belarusians at the Games, has to compete as a neutral following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Having demonstrated that they have not supported the war and have no links to the military, they have been allowed to compete but cannot fly their national flags.

The two countries' national anthems are also banned and should Medvedev win an Olympic medal for the first time, the achievement will not be recognised in the medals table.

"When I'm 40, if I can say I played in the Tokyo Olympics, Paris Olympics and Los Angeles Olympics, and had a lot of fun in my life and career, I'm going to be happy," said Medvedev.

The 28-year-old world number five is one of the most controversial players in tennis.

The 1.98m giant came close to being disqualified from his Wimbledon semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz this month for a foul-mouthed rant at the chair umpire, before escaping with a warning.

Medvedev explained that he had called the official "a small cat".

His explosive temperament has seen him feud with rivals Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.

In Miami in 2018, after Tsitsipas made a foul-mouthed remark about Medvedev, the Russian dismissed the Greek as a "small kid who doesn't know how to play".

His rivalry with Zverev peaked at Monte Carlo last year when Medvedev saved two match points in a tense last-16 victory.

Germany's Zverev lashed out at Medvedev for taking a bathroom break at a key moment in the tie, blasting the Russian as "one of the most unfair players in the world".

Medvedev hit back, telling the