Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday October 8, 2024
David Goffin he finished in the ATP Top 25 for seven consecutive years, from 2014 to 2020. But injuries, a result of age, have taken their toll on the Belgian recently.
A knee injury in 2021 ended his season after the US Open. He was in August’s Top 20 that season – but never came back and has spent weeks outside the Top 100 in the past two seasons. Goffin returned to the Top 100 in June and never looked back. After reaching the round of 16 in Shanghai, he is tipped to return to the Top 60 – an indication of how well the 33-year-old is playing these days.
“A few months ago [has been a] great fight, it was a good win,” Goffin said on Tuesday after defeating American Marcos Giron in three sets. “Also, mentally I’ve been there for the last few months, everything is getting better week by week since, I would say spring and the beginning of summer. So, I’m very happy with the way I’m playing, the way I’m coming back from the best part of the draw in major tournaments. So, everything is going well, so hopefully I can continue like that.”
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Inspiration from Monfils and Dimitrov
Goffin, who will turn 34 in December, says he gets inspiration from watching his 30-something teammates achieve success on the tour. He pointed directly Gael Monfils again Grigor Dimitrov.
“Gael and Grigor, they inspired me a lot, because they were injured a little, like Gael, and he won the 250 last year in Stockholm,” he said, referring to the 12th title of Lamonfs, which made him a footballer. the oldest champion in the tournament’s history.
Goffin also sees similarities with Grigor Dimitrov. Seven years ago the pair were in the midst of their best season on tour when they met in the ATP Finals title match in London.
Dimitrov rebounded in 2024, returning to the Top 10 for the first time since April 2018 at the start of the season, and completed a career set of Grand Slam quarterfinals when he reached the last eight at Roland-Garros for the first time in his career . 14th appearance in Paris.
“Grigor has had an amazing year,” Goffin said. “I started by saying, [at Shanghai] last year, he finished in Paris, and then returned to the Top 10.
Hello David!@David__Goffin beats Giron 7-5 in decider to make Masters 1000 last 16 for first time since May 2022 👏#RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/HIAimOU5e6
– Rolex Shanghai Masters (@SH_RolexMasters) October 8, 2024
“We were in the finals of the Masters in 2017 against Grigor, and just to see him now back in the Top 10, I said, ‘Okay, it’s unbelievable. We’re the same age, so I was like, why should I, why don’t I come back again, and try to get back into the senior ranks?’ I was very motivated to see what he did, what he did last year.”
Goffin and Dimitrov are both alive in the lower half of the draw in Shanghai. The Bulgarian faces Czech Jakub Mensik and Goffin will face Alexander Zverev who is number 2.
Goffin has moved into the round of 16 on the hard court Masters 1000 for the first time since 2020. Earlier this week he beat Lorenzo Musetti for his first Top 20 win since 2022. He’s not sure where his form will take him, but he feels fit. and curiosity.
“I don’t know if I can go to the Top 10 again, but I am on a good path at the moment, with good tennis, we will see where I can go,” said the former World No.7 Goffin.
