"I had to stop" says Goffin about ending season prematurely due to knee issues

David Goffin ended his 2021 season after the US Open where he lost in the first round and he revealed the reasons for it.

Goffin suffered a knee injury while preparing for Wimbledon at the Halle event by slipping on the grass. Since then it's been a struggle for the Belgian who tried to return quickly to the courts but it did not work out. He eventually did return at the US Open but his level was from good which is why he elected to call time on his season in order to focus on fully getting healthy.

He admitted in an interview that he was very frustrated about the injury because it forced him to think about the medical stuff more than this tennis. He said:

"We were more focused on the medical aspect than actual tennis and in that case it becomes difficult and it is true that at the end of the season I was fed up and I really had to stop."

He further said:

"I started playing intensely again for two or three weeks. I have felt very good on the court. I felt very good physically. It had been a long time since I felt that way. The reason I stopped playing tennis for a while is because I didn't want to feel any more pain. I'm very happy that I don't have to feel that feeling anymore. I think I made the right decision."

He also admitted that his goals changed somewhat after hitting 30:

"The goals are different (when you hit 30). When you are young you do not know what you are getting into. You do not calculate anything and you are very carefree. You do everything possible to play the maximum number of games possible. With my age I am getting to know myself a little more, especially in the physical aspect. I know what I want, what is good for me and what I no longer want."