David Goffin Bows Out in Tears as 18-Year Career Ends in Brussels

David Goffin's 18-year professional career ended exactly where it had to end: at home, in Brussels, in tears, in front of the people who loved him most.

The 35-year-old Belgian played the final singles match of his career on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open, falling 6-3, 6-4 to fifth-seeded Alex Michelsen in the second round. When his last lunging return found the net, the crowd at Brussels Expo rose as one. What followed was not a routine handshake and a wave. It was a full on-court farewell: a tribute video on the arena's giant screen featuring Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Lucas Pouille and Goffin's own family, and an emotional Goffin pinching back tears as he absorbed the love of his home fans, including his wife Stephanie and their daughter.

"I'm relieved, at peace with myself and very happy with what I experienced this week in Brussels," Goffin told RTBF afterward. "The crowd turned out, and I felt some beautiful emotions. I was tense before the week started because I really wanted to show some good tennis one last time. I think I managed it. It wasn't a given a few weeks ago, but I did everything to make it happen this way. I really enjoyed it, so I'm leaving at peace and relieved."

Asked to sum up 18 years: "It went by very fast. The word that comes back most is emotions. But also the people I met and the moments we shared."

One last fight, no final escape

Goffin, ranked No. 657 and playing on a wildcard, had already given Brussels one bonus chapter. On Wednesday he rallied from 3-0 down in the deciding set to beat Swiss lucky loser Remy Bertola 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, a comeback win that meant he had claimed at least one tour-level victory in 16 consecutive seasons. Against Michelsen, less than 24 hours later and in his second match in as many days, there was no second escape.

The 22-year-old American, ranked No. 37, was simply too steady, breaking early in both sets to reach his fifth quarterfinal of the season. The numbers told an honest farewell story: Goffin struck 23 winners but leaked 32 unforced errors. Michelsen now faces top seed Arthur Fils, who advanced without striking a ball after Jaume Munar withdrew with back discomfort.

The tributes: Nadal leads the send-off

The ceremony was the evening's true main event. Nadal's message played out across the giant screen: "Hi David! I wanted to congratulate you on your incredible career. It was an immense pleasure to share practice sessions, matches and great moments alongside you on the tour." Gasquet followed: "It was an honor to share all those moments with you. Congratulations on your great career. You are an extraordinary player and a wonderful person." The segment closed with words from his mother, his wife and his daughter, the private core of a very public career.

Earlier in the week, former Belgian Davis Cup stalwart Steve Darcis told RTL Sports that Goffin has been undervalued at home, calling him the best player Belgium has ever produced, remarks that reignited the debate over his legacy throughout the farewell week.

A career that stands alone in Belgium

The numbers explain the reverence. Goffin turned professional in 2009 at 18 and retires as the most successful man in Belgian tennis history: 634 tour matches, 358 wins, six titles and a career-high ranking of world No. 7 in 2017. He remains the only Belgian man to break into the top 10, to qualify for the ATP Finals, to beat a world No. 1 and to reach a Masters 1000 final, the last of those at Cincinnati in 2019. He holds the Belgian Open Era records for wins, titles and tour-level quarterfinals with 64.

His peak came in London in November 2017, when he beat Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer in succession to reach the ATP Finals title match, falling to Grigor Dimitrov. He reached four Grand Slam quarterfinals, led Belgium to the Davis Cup final in 2015 and 2017, and collected 21 wins over top-10 players, beating every member of the Big Three. As recently as March 2025 he stunned Carlos Alcaraz 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 at the Miami Open. Career prize money topped $19 million.

Goffin's game was never about brute force. A precision player who took the ball early and ripped his backhand down the line, he built a career on timing and angles rather than power. It made him one of the most respected competitors of his generation, if rarely the loudest.

Belgium's next chapter is already here

While one era closed, the tournament moved on, and Belgium still has a flag in the draw. Sixth seed Zizou Bergs beat Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-4 in their first tour-level meeting, his 25th win of the season. That made the 26-year-old only the fourth Belgian man in the Open Era to reach 25 tour-level wins in multiple seasons, after Xavier Malisse, Olivier Rochus and Goffin himself. Ranked No. 41, Bergs next faces Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.

Second seed Jiri Lehecka fired nine aces without a double fault in a 6-4, 6-2 dismissal of Belgium's Raphael Collignon, winning nearly 87 percent of his first-serve points. Collignon, last year's semifinalist, called a medical timeout for his abdomen early in the second set. Lehecka, a finalist in Brussels in each of the past two years, will face Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.

For Goffin, there are no more draws to read. Eighteen years, six titles, 358 wins and one unforgettable week at home. Brussels gave him the goodbye he earned, and he gave it right back, in tears.