David Goffin

David Goffin is, as things stand, not only the highest-ranked male tennis player from Belgium but also the first ever tennis star from the country to break into the top 10 of the ATP rankings. His career-high singles ranking is number 7 and he is currently 30 in the world. Goffin has won a total of 6 titles in his career – five in singles competition and 1 in the doubles division. Aside from winning five singles titles, he has also finished runners-up in nine other finals, the most notable of those being the 2017 ATP World Tour Finals, where he lost to Grigor Dimitrov.

Goffin competed in the junior categories where he reached a career-high ranking of 10. He took part in only two major junior Grand Slams – the French Open and Wimbledon. In the former he was knocked out in the second round and the latter saw him suffer a first-round exit.

His first win on the ATP tour came at the Chennai Open in 2011, when he beat India’s Somdev Devvarman in the first round. Prior to that he had played in Challenger and Futures events. However, his major breakthrough in the world of tennis would come in 2012 in the French Open. He did not qualify for the event as he lost out in the qualifiers, but he was granted entry into the draw as a lucky loser.

There he stunned everyone by beating Radek Stepanek in the first round, with the game going the distance at five sets. He would reach the fourth round and lose to Roger Federer, but not without taking the first set off the legend.

The following year was plagued by inconsistencies for Goffin but he would turn things around for the better in 2014, winning four titles on the trot. Three of those were Challenger events but the fourth was the Austrian Open, an ATP 250 event. Here he beat Dominic Thiem to win his first-ever ATP title. He would follow this up with two more final appearances in 2015 and break into the top 20 of the rankings.

2016 saw him advance up the rankings and also make the quarters at Roland Garros. 2017 saw him break into the top 10 and also make the finals of multiple events. He would also add two more ATP titles to his name, winning at Shenzhen and Tokyo. His fifth and last ATP title so far came in 2021 at Montpellier.

Goffin’s game revolves largely around him playing offensive strokes on the baseline, where he can effectively hit either with an effective forehand or his double-hand backhand, which many consider to be his strongest shot. His backhand is an especially effective shot when he plays it down the line, with many considering it to be one of the best of its kind on the men’s tour. His serving and return game is solid enough and he is also quick on his feet, with a noted ability of being able to retrieve balls that are in a tricky position. He is solid at the net but doesn’t often attempt to volley as it isn’t a major strength.

Australian Open – quarterfinalist in 2017
French Open – quarterfinalist in 2016
Wimbledon – quarterfinalist in 2019
US Open – made the fourth round in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020