"This will be my last season" - David Goffin announces that 2026 will be final season on tour before imminent retirement from tennis

Since 2012, David Goffin has graced the tennis courts, challenging for the biggest ATP titles and making a name for himself on the big stage. This will all be coming to an end at the end of this campaign as he announces that this will be his final year competing.

The Belgian will join an elite list of names hanging up their racket at the end of the year, including Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils. While not as well-known, Goffin has created his own and very impressive legacy in tennis which will be remembered fondly by many.

The former world number seven released a video on Instagram detailing the breaking news. It showed him practicing on an indoor court before flashing back to some of his most cherished moments.

He narrated over the short video: "Some decisions stay with you for a long time. I've given everything for this sport. And tennis has given me more than I could ever have imagined. The matches, the battles, the wins, the losses, the emotions, the people who were there through all of it. And that's why this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life."

After that final sentence, the screen went black with a message popping up on it stating: "This will be my last season," thus confirming the news many tennis fans would not have wanted to hear.

He made a name for himself in 2012 when he went on a run to the fourth round of Roland Garros. He made history in doing so, becoming the first lucky loser to reach the fourth round of a major since Dick Norman at Wimbledon 1995, and the first to do it in the 21st century. He would go on to lose against Roger Federer despite winning the first set.

His intentions had been set, and two years later, he would win his first ATP title at the Austrian Open. He backed this up a month later by doubling his tally at the Moselle Open. What would follow is six finals in three years, all coming second best in.

Goffin would still be making an impact on the tour, reaching a first Grand Slam quarterfinal in 2016 at Roland Garros. This would be the first of four last-eight appearances in major tournaments, failing to make it that next step. He also achieved this in the 2017 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2019 and 2022.

Going back to 2017, he ended his title drought at the Shenzhen Open before backing it up in the same month with silverware at the Japan Open. This was enough to see him return to the ATP Finals for the second year in a row. He made it out of the group before causing a huge surprise by defeating Roger Federer in three sets. He was unable to go that extra step and clinch the title, being bettered by Grigor Dimitrov.

He made just one Masters 1000 final back in 2019 at the Cincinnati Open, losing out to a rampant Daniil Medvedev. He also reached four semi-finals from 2016-2018 but never tasted glory in this specific category of tournament.

For Belgium he also produced a show, helping them culminate at the final of the 2015 and 2017 Davis Cup, both times on the losing side.

In total, he won 15 singles titles, reached a career high ranking of seventh in the world and went deep in a whole host of big tournaments. The 35-year-old is currently ranked as the world number 156. He will be hoping for one final push to end what has been a fantastic tennis career.