Earlier this month David Goffin fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming the first Belgian player to crack the top-10 in the ATP Emirates rankings. His descent towards to the top is an admirable one, but it isn’t without its problems.
Unlike the likes of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, Goffin’s 5-foot-11 height does have an impact on his own firepower. Weighing in at 150 lbs, the 26-year-old is lighter than every player currently ranked in the world’s top six. Murray weighs in at 185 lbs, whilst Milos Raonic is 216 lbs.
How Goffin’s weight compares to the top-six
Andy Murray – 185 lbs
Novak Djokovic – 165 lbs
Stan Wawrinka – 179 lbs
Milos Raonic – 216 lbs
Kei Nishikori – 165 lbs
Rafael Nadal – 188 lbs
Despite having a smaller body frame compared to his rivals, it has done little to deter Goffin’s performance on the ATP Tour. This year he has already reached his second grand slam quarter-final at the Australian Open followed by back-to-back final appearances in Sofia and Rotterdam.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s funny,” Goffin said during an exclusive interview with ESPN. “Because last year I was talking to Gilles Simon, and he told me I could be the next guy weighing less than 70 kilos [154 lbs] to be in the top 10. We laughed about it.
“But he was right. We can play with the big guys because we also have weapons. It’s good to see different games.”
Goffin is right when he talks about having different weapons. According to Infosys statistics, an official partner of the ATP, over the past 52 weeks the Belgian is only the 48th most efficient server on the tour. Nevertheless, he compensates with his return rating of 160.6, which is the sixth highest on the tour.
“I don’t have the same serve speed as some of the guys, but I have good footwork, and I take the ball early,” he explained. “I am trying to play more on the baseline, be more into the court.”
There is still need for improvement if Goffin wishes to become a permanent fixture in the top-10. He has drifted down to 11th in the world and is set to fall further after this week following a shock 6-2, 6-3, loss to Sam Querrey at the Mexican Open. Once again is was Goffin’s serve that let him down as he hit four double faults and won just 33% (9/27) of his second service points.
Describing his run into the top-10 as a ‘dream’, Goffin now faces a crucial stage of the season as he aims to defend a large collection of points at Indian Wells and Miami. Last year he reached the semifinals at both tournaments.
