David Goffin Retires in Brussels After Emotional Farewell

Goffin played the final match of his career at the Brussels European Open on Thursday, ending one of the most successful professional tennis careers of any Belgian player.

Goffin’s Final Matches in Brussels

35-year-old David Goffin arrived at the Brussels European Open already knowing it was his last tournament. He had announced in March that 2026 would be his final season, calling it one of the hardest decisions of his life. With this season set as his last, what tournament could be a better finale than one in his home country?

Goffin nearly lost his first match in Brussels, trailing lucky loser Remy Bertola by a set and 3-0 in the decider. However, in surprising fashion, Goffin caught a second wind and won six of the last seven games for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory, his first tour-level win since the 2025 Shanghai Masters. He dropped to his knees in joy when it ended, and joked afterward that he would have to cancel the party he had planned.

In his second match in Brussels, Goffin wasn’t as fortunate, losing 6-3, 6-4 to Alex Michelsen in the Round of 16. Afterward, the tournament held an on-court ceremony, featuring video messages from Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, Richard Gasquet, and his family. Goffin was brought to tears, expressing his gratitude and relief after the match.

“I gave everything to try to reach my goals. I’m proud of the attitude that I always had in front of the difficulties that I had in my career. I’m proud of the wins I had, the opponents I beat. A lot of things I’m really proud of. But in the end, I have no regrets, and I gave everything until the very end,” said Goffin.

Watch the full tribute video below.

A Career Worth Celebrating

Goffin leaves the ATP Tour with six titles, including Kitzbühel (2014), Metz (2014), Shenzhen (2017), Tokyo (2017), Montpellier (2021), and Marrakech (2022). He retires with a 358-276 career record, giving him the most professional wins of any Belgian man. He reached a career-high No. 7 in November 2017, becoming the first Belgian to crack the ATP top 10.

2017 marked the peak of his career, when he became the first Belgian to qualify for the ATP Finals, then beat Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the event in London. He also won all six of his singles matches in the Davis Cup, including two in the final, and helped Belgium reach the final in 2015 and 2017.

Goffin reached four Grand Slam quarterfinals: the 2016 French Open, the 2017 Australian Open, and Wimbledon in 2019 and 2022, and he was runner-up at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters. He had 21 career wins over top-10 opponents, highlighted by victories over Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

Goffin reflected on his career after his final match by saying, “A younger version of myself would say that it’s quite a good career, quite good emotions with the impressive places that I played, like a stadium with a crowd, the Davis Cup ties that I played. Hopefully a younger David would be impressed.”

Goffin Saying Goodbye in Belgium

For a player whose biggest moments came on stages like London and Tokyo, ending in Brussels gave Belgian fans a farewell of their own. The crowd carried him through the week, and by the end it had seen two very different matches: a comeback from the brink of elimination and a straight-sets defeat.

Goffin’s retirement marks the end of a legendary career on the ATP Tour, arguably the best of any Belgian man. Some have debated whether Belgium ever fully appreciated his achievements, but his success is obvious in hindsight. Most importantly, a packed home crowd and tributes from some of the sport’s biggest names gave him an ending that fits his career.

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