As Daniil Medvedev, the world No 2, started his French Open this week, there was ample reason for many not to even consider him for a deep run at this tournament as he makes his way back from hernia surgery.
In his absence, he has been the face of all the news about the ban of Russian players at Wimbledon; all of his press conferences and interviews have been dominated by this topic, making it a potential distraction. In his comeback tournament last week in Geneva, Medvedev lost his opening match to Richard Gasquet in straight sets and he seemed far from top form. He has returned on the surface he spent much of last year insulting, even as he reached the French Open quarter-final.
