By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday, October 8, 2024
David Goffin finished in the ATP 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 of late.
A knee injury in 2021 ended his season after the US Open. He was in the August Top 20 that season – but hasn’t been back and has spent many weeks outside the Top 100 in the last two seasons. Goffin returned to the Top 100 in June and hasn’t been back since. After reaching the quarter-finals in Shanghai, he is slated to return to the Top 60 (53rd in the live rankings) – an indication of how well the 33-year-old is playing these days.
“The last few months (it’s been) a great fight, it’s been some good wins,” Goffin said on Tuesday after defeating the American. Marcos Giron in three groups. “Also, mentally I’ve been there for the last few months, everything is getting better week by week, from spring and early summer. So I’m very happy with the way I’m playing, with the way I’m getting back into the better part of the draws in the big tournaments. So everything is going well, so hopefully I can keep it going.”
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Inspiration from Monfils and Dimitrov
Goffin, who will turn 34 in December, says he is motivated by watching his fellow 30-somethings succeed on the tour. He pointed out specifically Gael Monfils AND Grigor Dimitrov.
“Gael and Grigor, they were an inspiration to me because they were a bit injured, like Gael, and he won the 250 last year in Stockholm,” he said, referring to Lamonfs 12th career title. which saw him become the oldest champion in the history of the tournament.
Goffin also sees parallels with Grigor Dimitrov. Seven years ago the pair were both in the midst of their best seasons on tour when they met in the ATP Finals title match in London.
Dimitrov has been on a resurgence in 2024, returning to the Top 10 for the first time since April 2018 at the start of the season, and completing his career haul of Grand Slam quarterfinals when he reached the last eight at Roland-Garros for the first time first in his time. 14th appearance in Paris.
“Grigor played a great year,” Goffin said. “It started from, I would say, (in Shanghai) last year, and then the final in Paris, and then it went back to the Top 10.
Come on David!@David__Goffin beats Giro 7-5 in decider to reach the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time since May 2022
#RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/HIAimOU5e6
— Rolex Shanghai Masters (@SH_RolexMasters) October 8, 2024
“We were in the final of the Masters in 2017 against Grigori and just to see him back in the Top 10, I was like, ‘Okay, that’s pretty incredible. We’re the same age, so I was like, why don’t I go back and try to get back to the top ranking?’ It was an inspiration to see what he does, what he did last year.”
Goffin is in the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 for the first time since 2021. He will next face Taylor Fritz.
Earlier this week he won Lorenzo Musetti for his first Top 20 win since 2022. He’s not sure where his form will take him, but he feels capable and eager to find out.
“I don’t know if I can get back into the Top 10, but at the moment I’m in a good way, with some good tennis, we’ll see where I can go,” says former World No. 7 Goffin.
