BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON, October 17, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
When the draw ceremony for the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open took place Friday afternoon at the Brussels Expo, all eyes were focused on Belgian great David Goffin. Understandably so. After all, not only is Goffin preparing for the final appearance of his remarkable professional career, he conducted the draw himself with the help of tournament director Dick Norman and ATP Tour supervisor Rafael Schneider.
As it happened, Goffin was drawn to face a qualifier in his first-round match and could face No. 5 seed Alex Michelsen of the United States in the second round if he is successful in winning his opener. Goffin is in the upper half of the draw, where he could meet World No. 11 and top seed Arthur Fils of France in the quarterfinal round should he advance that far.
This year’s BNP Paribas Fortis European Open, an ATP 250 indoor hard-court event takes place in Belgium’s capital city of Brussels, where it is beginning its second year following a nine-year run in Antwerp. This year’s tournament marks the ultimate “Last Dance” for Goffin, one of the biggest names in Belgian men’s tennis.
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From winning six ATP Tour titles to achieving a career-high ranking of World No. 7, Goffin has been the leader for Belgian tennis for more than a decade. A native of Liège, Goffin has also become one of his country’s most-respected sporting figures and an inspiring figure for a whole generation of young Belgian tennis players.
“It will be a very special moment to end my career here in Belgium, in front of my home fans,” said the 35-year-old Goffin, who turned pro in 2009, after the draw ceremony. “The BNP Paribas Fortis European Open has always held a special place in my heart. I want to give everything I have on court and enjoy one last moment with the fans, looking back on everything we’ve shared over the years.”
@David__Goffin vs @carlosalcaraz — Miami, 2025.
One of David Goffin’s biggest Top 10 wins.🔥
#LaDernièreDanse. Don’t miss it. 🇧🇪
🎟️ Tickets: https://t.co/Napukmv6oH. https://t.co/Aa6Z05jXxX
— BNP Paribas Fortis European Open (@BNPPFEUOpen) September 24, 2026
The 467th-ranked Goffin, who received a wild card entry into the main draw, was asked about opening against a qualifier in his last European Open. “It doesn’t matter who it is,” he said. “It’s going to be a great match in front of a packed and passionate crowd.”
Added Norman: “We encourage all tennis fans to come to Brussels and give David Goffin the farewell he deserves in his final appearance on the professional tour. Ticket sales are already going extremely well, and everyone wants to be there. So, anyone who hasn’t secured their tickets yet will need to act fast.”
About the European Open main draw
The top four seeds, World No. 11 Arthur Fils of France, No. 16 Jiri Lehecka of Czechia, No. 20 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina and No. 28 Alexander Blockx of Belgium, have received byes into the second round.
The remaining seeded players include: No. 5 seed Alex Michelsen of the United States, ranked 35th; No. 6 seed Zizou Bergs of Belgium, ranked 39th; No. 7 seed Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, ranked No. 41; and No. 8 seed Mariano Navone of Argentina, ranked No. 47.
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Other players entered in the 28-player main draw include: David Goffin of Belgium, Jaume Munar of Spain, Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany, Marcos Giron of the United States, Dino Prizmic of Croatia, Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Toby Samuel of Great Britain, Kamil Majchrzak of Poland, Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain, Hugo Gaston of France, Yannick Hanfmann of Germany, Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina, Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, wild card Max Schoenhaus of Germany, Rafael Collignon of Belgium, and wild card Holger Rune of Denmark. There will be four players added to the main draw from weekend qualifying.
Defending champion and current World No. 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada has withdrawn and will not compete due to any injury sustained this week while competing at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Also, No. 24 Casper Ruud of Norway has withdrawn and will not be playing in Brussels.
Saturday’s European Open qualifying order of play
Around the Brussels Expo
• Qualifying gets under way at 12:30 p.m. Saturday with a total of four berths up for grabs over the weekend. Top seed is 104th-ranked Martin Damm of the United States. He will open against 271st-rankled Belgium wild card Buvaysar Gadamauri. Other top seeds in the 16-player qualifying draw are: No. 108 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France, No. 139 Ninesh Basavareddy of the United States and No. 146 Clement Chidekh of France. A total of eight matches spread over two courts will take place on the first day of qualifying.
• The tournament announced that next Tuesday (Oct. 20) is Belgian Day at the European Open. Belgian No. 2 Zizou Bergs, ranked 39th, will play in the third match of the day against 100th-ranked Toby Samuel of Great Britain, not before 6 p.m. It will be followed by Belgian No. 3 Raphael Collignon, ranked No 50, against 195th-ranked wild card Holger Rune of Denmark.
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