Tennis is a game of giants, but David Goffin has spent over a decade proving that height is just a number. Standing at 5 ft 11 in—small by modern ATP standards—the Belgian has carved out a career based on surgical precision and a backhand that can open up angles most players don’t even see. He's basically the ultimate "players' player."
But where is he now?
As we hit early 2026, the conversation around David Goffin has shifted from "can he win a Slam?" to "how much does he have left in the tank?" Honestly, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. After a 2025 season plagued by a nagging neck injury and later a troublesome knee, Goffin recently made the tough call to skip the 2026 Australian Open. He’s currently ranked outside the Top 100, sitting around World No. 119.
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For a guy who was World No. 7 and once beat Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the same week, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
The Current State of David Goffin
Right now, the Belgian is in a race against his own body. You've probably seen the headlines: he retired in the third round of the Shanghai Masters back in October 2025 after just 10 minutes on court. It was a neck issue that time. Then, just as the 2026 season was kicking off, he took to Instagram to tell his fans that a "slight discomfort" in his knee was keeping him out of Melbourne.
It’s frustrating.
He’s 35 now. In tennis years, that’s seasoned veteran territory. But don't count him out as a "washed" player just yet. Even in a patchy 2025, he showed flashes of that vintage brilliance. He took down Ben Shelton in Shanghai—a guy who serves like a cannon—using nothing but rhythm and counter-punching. That’s the thing about Goffin; his game doesn't rely on raw power, which means if he can get his movement back to 100%, he can still frustrate the young guns.
Why his 2017 Run Still Matters
To understand why people still care about David Goffin, you have to look back at 2017. That was his masterpiece. He became the first Belgian man to break the Top 10. More importantly, he did something only a handful of humans have ever done: he beat Nadal and Federer at the same event during the Nitto ATP Finals.
He didn't just beat them; he out-maneuvered them.
He’s the sixth player ever to pull off that specific double. The others? Djokovic, Murray, Del Potro, Davydenko, and Nalbandian. That is elite company. It solidified his reputation as the "Giant Killer." He doesn't have a 140 mph serve, but he takes the ball so early that he steals time from his opponents. It’s a claustrophobic style of tennis.
The Technical Wizardry: The Backhand
If you ask any coach on the tour about Goffin’s game, they’ll point to the two-handed backhand. It is, quite simply, a thing of beauty. While most players use their backhand as a shield to stay in the rally, Goffin uses it as a sword.
Specifically, his backhand down-the-line is lethal.
- He hits it with incredibly flat trajectory.
- It stays low, making it almost impossible to slice back effectively.
- He uses a very short backswing, which allows him to handle high-velocity shots.
It’s the reason he’s been able to maintain a career prize money total of over $18.9 million. He’s 40th on the all-time earnings list for a reason. You don’t get there by accident. You get there by being one of the best returners in the history of the sport. In his prime, he was winning over 50% of second-serve return points. That puts an insane amount of pressure on the server.
Injuries: The Silent Opponent
We have to be honest here—injuries have been the narrative of his career as much as the trophies have. Since 2013, he’s dealt with:
- A broken wrist that ended his season early.
- A freak accident at the French Open where he tripped on a rain cover and tore ankle ligaments.
- An eye injury after being hit by a ball.
- Recent knee and neck issues that have stalled his 2025/2026 comeback.
It’s a lot for one person.
What’s Next for David Goffin?
So, what does the rest of 2026 look like? Since he’s sitting out the Australian Open, the goal is clearly a clay-court reset. Goffin has always been comfortable on the dirt—remember, his big breakthrough was as a "Lucky Loser" reaching the fourth round of the French Open in 2012.
He needs points. Fast.
To avoid the grind of the Challenger tour, he’ll need some solid results in the February indoor swing or the early spring clay events like Marrakech—a tournament he actually won back in 2022. He’s currently coached by Yannis Demeroutis, and the focus seems to be purely on physical longevity rather than changing the technical aspects of his game.
David Goffin is a player who belongs on the big stages. His absence from the main draw of Slams feels wrong for fans who appreciate the "chess match" side of tennis. If his knee holds up, expect him to be a very dangerous floater in the draws come springtime.
Actionable Takeaways for Tennis Fans
If you're following Goffin’s journey this year, keep an eye on these specific markers:
- The Return Stats: Watch his "Return Games Won" percentage. If he’s hovering around 25-30%, he’s finding his rhythm.
- Surface Choice: Look for him to prioritize clay and slow hard courts. These give his movement-based game the best chance to shine without the serve-bot dominance of grass.
- The Ranking Jump: He needs to get back into the Top 100 to ensure direct entry into Roland Garros. Every match in February and March is essentially a must-win for his season structure.
The road back isn't easy at 35, but if anyone has the tactical IQ to navigate a late-career resurgence, it's the guy they call La Goff.