SHANGHAI/WASHINGTON, October 9, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

David Goffin found himself at a crossroads in his professional tennis career at the end of last season. Despite being ranked as high as World No. 7, reaching the second week of every major and the championship final at the Nitto ATP Finals, the six-time ATP Tour titlist — who was ranked outside the Top 100 at No. 111 — felt he had nothing left to prove.

In an interview with the ATP Tour website last month, the 33-year-old Belgian, who was dealing with a knee issue and not battling for tour-level titles, revealed: “I was like, ‘Oof, what am I doing? I am playing so bad. I cannot hold my racquet anymore. What do we do now? Is it enough for me or not? Can I do it physically? Am I still as fast as before? The endurance, is it still there or not? The tennis, am I too late?’

“I don’t know. A lot of doubts.”

Allez David!@David__Goffin defeats Giron 7-5 in the decider to make 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

Fast forward to this week at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, an ATP 1000 hard court event in Shanghai, China, where Goffin is among a group of 30-something veterans — including World No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov (33) of Bulgaria, No, 46 Gaël Monfils (38) of France and four-time Shanghai champion and current World No. 4 Novak Djokovic (37) of Serbia — who are all safely through to the fourth round of the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 event. It’s the furthest Goffin has gone in a Masters 1000 since Madrid in 2022.

On Tuesday evening, the 66th-ranked Goffin, who turns 34 in December, rallied to defeat No. 47 Marcos Giron of the United States, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, behind 31 winners for his third straight win. Earlier in the tournament, he defeated No. 75 James Duckworth of Australia, 6-4, 6-2, and upset World No. 19 and 15th seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-2.

Getting it done on Day 6 in Shanghai ✌️

Goffin d. Musetti 1-6 7-6(6) 6-2
Safiullin d. Bublik 6-4 6-2
Giron d. Khachanov 6-4 6-3
Griekspoor d. Thompson 6-3 6-2@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/39WcH9Wdfh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 7, 2024

With three quality wins in Shanghai, Goffin has leveled his tour-level win-loss record at 14-14. In all competitions this season, he’s 43-24. Goffin has played in half a dozen ATP Challenger Tour events, winning one title on grass at Ilkley in June, and he’s seen his ranking improve 34 spots since the end of July.

“Yeah, I’m very happy,” Goffin admitted, during a post-match media interview after defeating Giron. “The last few months it was great fight, it was some good wins. 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.”

On Wednesday evening, Goffin will play World No. 3 and second seed Alexander Zverev of Germany in the fourth round with a quarterfinal berth against either No. 7 Taylor Fritz of the United States or No. 12 seed Holger Rune of Denmark riding on the outcome. “Sascha, I know him quite well, you know, from practicing together,” he said.

“We played each other a few times, I have a couple of wins, he has a little bit more. We played some good matches against each other, and he’s an unbelievable player. Again, he played an unbelievable season already, so we will see. It’s going to be a tough match. …”

Completing the round of 16 lineup @AlexZverev gets the job done 7-6 6-2 7-6! #RolexShanghaiMasterspic.twitter.com/C65vyPjTza

— Rolex Shanghai Masters (@SH_RolexMasters) October 8, 2024

Goffin was asked by a reporter how it felt to be part of the 30-something group — albeit the second- youngest — that’s done so well in Shanghai. “It feels strange, you know. I feel like I’m the last part of the, you know, the age of the 30-plus,” he said. “But I’m feeling great, and physically I’m playing a hundred percent, and I don’t have pain anymore for the moment, so hopefully it can continue like that.

“You know, Gael and Grigor, they were quite an inspiration for me, because they were a little bit injured, like for Gael, and he won  [an ATP] 250 last year in Stockholm.

A La Monf special @Gael_Monfils #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/ih3UB8mGnX

— Rolex Shanghai Masters (@SH_RolexMasters) October 8, 2024

“Grigor played an amazing year,” added Goffin. “Started from, I would say, here last year, and then final in Paris, and then he came back in the top 10. You know, 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 have 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.”

Win or lose against Zverev, Goffin is a firm believer that he still has some good tennis left in his racquet. His confidence and attitude remains positive.

“I don’t know if I can go to the top 10 again, but, I mean, I’m in a good way for the moment, with some good tennis,” Goffin said. “We will see where I can go.”