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Interactive Forum October 2025: David Goffin: Backhand
David Goffin, 34, Belgium’s meticulous craftsman of the baseline, long ago proved that power isn’t the only path to elite tennis. At Wimbledon 2016, Hawk-Eye clocked his backhand at 73 mph—among the event’s fastest—evidence that “lightweight” doesn’t mean light ball.
His stroke is flatter than the ~1,775 rpm tour average, trading spin for speed and precision. A former world No. 7 and ATP Finals runner-up, Goffin thrives on timing, angles, and anticipation—his backhand down the line remains a model of quiet aggression.
His hitting-arm combination is mostly bent-straight (right arm bent / left arm straight), with the occasional straight-straight at contact. His meticulous footwork is key to maintaining an aggressive style and allows him to take the ball on the rise at every opportunity.
Still one of the tour’s most thoughtful competitors, Goffin wins not with force but with geometry, patience, and conviction.
In 2025, he upset Carlos Alcaraz in Miami’s second round. Last week in Shanghai, he defeated Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4, striking 19 winners to 11 errors for his second Top-10 win of the year.
Your thoughts please!
His stroke is flatter than the ~1,775 rpm tour average, trading spin for speed and precision. A former world No. 7 and ATP Finals runner-up, Goffin thrives on timing, angles, and anticipation—his backhand down the line remains a model of quiet aggression.
His hitting-arm combination is mostly bent-straight (right arm bent / left arm straight), with the occasional straight-straight at contact. His meticulous footwork is key to maintaining an aggressive style and allows him to take the ball on the rise at every opportunity.
Still one of the tour’s most thoughtful competitors, Goffin wins not with force but with geometry, patience, and conviction.
In 2025, he upset Carlos Alcaraz in Miami’s second round. Last week in Shanghai, he defeated Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4, striking 19 winners to 11 errors for his second Top-10 win of the year.
Your thoughts please!