Gaël Monfils, the free spirit in Melbourne

It’s 2 p.m. this Sunday, the sun reigns supreme in the Melbourne sky. 34°C and a stand in the shade, providential and crowded, of course. Everyone awaits the arrival of the veteran, the hero made in France of this first week of the Australian Open. Everyone wants to see, everyone wants to know by what magic, Gaël Monfils, 38 years old, 41st in the world, defeated Taylor Fritz (4th) the day before in the third round, and almost without a shadow of a doubt. His designated sparring partner is also waiting for him, bouncing the ball on the edge of his racket. Twelve minutes later, Monfils finally shows up.