By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday October 8, 2024
David Goffin finished in the ATP’s Top 25 for seven consecutive years, from 2014 to 2020. But injuries, a byproduct of age of course, have taken their toll on the Belgian more recently.
A knee injury in 2021 ended his season after the US Open. He was in the Top 20 of August that season – but has never returned and has spent many weeks outside of the Top 100 in the last two seasons. Goffin returned to the Top 100 in June and hasn’t looked back since. After reaching the quarterfinal at Shanghai, he’s slated to return to the Top 60 (at 53 in the live rankings) – it’s an indication of how well the 33-year-old is playing these days.
“The last few months it [has been a] great fight, it was some good wins,” Goffin said on Tuesday after defeating American Marcos Giron in three sets. “Also, mentally I'm there for the last few months, everything is getting better week after week from, I would say spring and beginning of the summer. So, I'm very happy the way I'm playing, the way I'm coming back in the best part of the draws in big tournaments. So, everything's going well, so hopefully I can keep going like that.”
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Inspiration from Monfils and Dimitrov
Goffin, who will turn 34 in December, says he gets motivation from watching his fellow thirty somethings achieve success on tour. He pointed specifically to Gael Monfils and Grigor Dimitrov.
“Gael and Grigor, they were quite an inspiration for me, because they were a little bit injured, like for Gael, and he won 250 last year in Stockholm,” he said, referring to Lamonfs 12th career title, which saw him become the oldest champion in tournament history.
Goffin also sees parallels with Grigor Dimitrov. Seven years ago the pair were both in the midst of their best season on tour when the met in the title match of the ATP Finals in London.
Dimitrov has been resurgent in 2024, returning to the Top 10 for the first time since April of 2018 earlier in the season, and completing the career set of Grand Slam quarterfinals when he reached the last eight at Roland-Garros for the first time on his 14th appearance in Paris.
“Grigor played an amazing year,” Goffin said. “Started from, I would say, [at Shanghai] last year, and then final in Paris, and then he came back in the Top 10.
“We were in the final of the Masters in 2017 against Grigor, and just to see him now going back in the Top 10, I was like, ‘Okay, it's quite unbelievable. We are the same age, so I was like, why should I, why shouldn't I come back as well, and try to go back in the higher ranking?’ It was quite an inspiration to see what he does, what he did last year.”
Goffin is into the quarterfinals at a Masters 1000 for the first time since 2021. He will face Taylor Fritz next.
Earlier this week he defeated Lorenzo Musetti for his first Top 20 win since 2022. He’s not sure where his form will take him, but he’s feeling fit and eager to find out.
“I don't know if I can go to the Top 10 again, but I'm in a good way for the moment, with some good tennis, we will see where I can go,” former World No.7 Goffin says.