David Goffin has beaten Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in his standout career. But the feeling of stepping on court to face a top opponent never gets old.
The Belgian is thrilled to have another chance to take down a superstar on Friday when he plays second seed Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the Miami Open presented by Itau.
“That's why I continue to play tennis, just to try to see where I am compared to the best players in the world. And tomorrow will be the case,” Goffin told ATPTour.com. “I have a chance to play Carlos Alcaraz one more time, just to see where I am at the moment. He's probably playing some of the best tennis of his career. He's still young, but he's an amazing player. So we will see and happy that I can still play again in a big stadium… So it's going to be a very exciting match and we'll see what I can do. “
It is an opportunity for the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up to show that he still has the game with which he cracked the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings. His opening victory against Aleksandar Vukic was the 350th tour-level win of his career.
“I’m feeling great. I would say it started the middle of the season last year, I started to change a little bit my team and then I started to play better, to win some good matches, and then to feel confident again,” Goffin said. “So I finished the year really well, really close to the Top 50 already at the end of the year.”
Goffin reunited with Jean Demeroutis, who helped him when he was ascending through the ITF World Tennis Tour. The change was the beginning of the veteran’s push to return to the top of the sport.
“I had to find some new goals and the way to reach my new goals. I felt that I had to change something in my team. I was ready physically to do it and mentally as well. As soon as I found the goals I want to reach, I took another tennis coach,” Goffin said. “I was always ready to fight but to give everything in order to do everything to go back higher in the rankings. A year or a year and a half ago, I was like, 120, 130, and I was like, ‘What do I want to do? Want to go back in the Top 50?’”
The other choice was to remain where he was and play out the rest of his career until retirement, enjoying his final tournaments.
“But I didn't want to finish like that. I wanted to give more,” Goffin said. “I felt that I had more to give to tennis and the energy inside. I wanted to give more, so I'm happy that I found the energy to do that, and also that the results came after.
“I wanted to finish my career with a great feeling, to know that I gave everything, the feeling that I put all the work I could to finish well my career, and that's what I I want to do. I’m turning 35 this year. I don't know how many years I'm going to play, but I’ll try to play a few more years if I continue like this. I'm feeling great. I enjoy the way I'm playing, so it's good. I'm feeling better.”
It has also helped that last year, Goffin enjoyed the birth of his first child, Emma, who is with him in Miami. She has even been courtside, except when it becomes too hot.
“It's amazing. The way she behaves, I would say it's amazing. She's really calm, she's watching everything here on site. She's looking at everybody. She's never cried, so it's just a perfect baby at the moment,” Goffin said. “She's only six months, and that's also extra motivation. I said at the end of the year last year that just to become a dad, it's an extra motivation to continue a little bit my career and to show my baby, maybe, that she can realise that I was a good tennis player.”
Goffin will need to be just that on Friday against Alcaraz, against whom he has split two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings. The former World No. 7 triumphed in their most recent showdown three years ago in Astana, where Alcaraz played his first ATP Tour event after winning the US Open.
“I think he improved every part of his game. I can see that his serve improved a lot. He made some technique changes, backhand changed a little bit , he serve changed a little bit,” Goffin said. “Physically, he improved a lot. I think he's stronger compared to the last time I played against him. He's a better player, for sure, still improving. He has a great team around him, so they make everything to be a better player. So it's it's going to be tough, of course.
“Even if he's still young, he has more experience in big matches, big tournaments. I have, too, so we’ll see.”
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