ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 5, 2026

David Goffin

Press Conference

E. NAVA/D. Goffin

6-3, 6-7, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. David, for your last match, that couldn't have been more dramatic, could it?

DAVID GOFFIN: Yeah, yeah, of course. But I just wanted to give everything for that match. My last tournament here in Monaco, a tournament that I love, so I had just to give everything, even if from the start it was tough. I just had to fight, find some solutions, try to win more matches.

But it was not the case today. Yesterday was great to beat a great player, and today was also a great player, but at the end, yeah, it was tough, but I gave everything and tried to find solutions until the end.

But, yeah, it was a dramatic match, but it was fun. I really enjoyed that match.

Q. Can I just ask about your decision to retire? Is that something you have been thinking about for a long time?

DAVID GOFFIN: Not for that long, but yeah, for many weeks now. The end of the last season was not easy. I mean, the second part of last season was not easy, because I was top 50, and then I had the foot injury for a few months, and then at the end of the year it was my knee for a few months, as well.

I start the season pretty late this year, so it was not only physically, but it was part of the decision, of course, but it was also mentally. It has an impact on my mental, motivation, and then the ranking dropped a little bit.

So you just have to ask yourself what you're ready to do to come back in the top 100 or top 50. You know what you have to do, the effort you have to do. Sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself and said, Am I ready to do it?

For me, I think it's not easy, because you have to make a lot of efforts to come back, and I'm not sure that physically I'm ready for that.

Yeah, the decision was not easy to take, but at the end, I'm happy with my decision. I feel now that it's the right moment.

Q. When you stop, what will you do then?

DAVID GOFFIN: Don't know yet (smiling). I have the season to play. Not a full schedule like always, but a few tournaments that I like, tournaments that I would love to play, but with my ranking it's not easy.

But we will see week after week, and the goal is to finish the year in Brussels. That would be amazing to finish in Belgium. But then we will see. Still have opportunities, but time now is just to enjoy every moment on the court, and then there will be a moment to think about all those opportunities and try to find my way. But it's not the right moment to take that decision.

Q. Is it at all scary to think that this is your last Monte-Carlo, that you're coming to an end, it's scary to think of what's next?

DAVID GOFFIN: No, not at all. It's more about feeling like relief from something. You know, I played the two best matches of the year, of my season so far, and it's the first tournament that I play since I announced that it was my last season.

So there is something inside that it's released, and I like what I feel. More relaxed. I have no pressure. I just try to take all the positive things on the court. I'm enjoying every moment, and it is something that it is quite nice to feel.

But for what's coming next, no, it's nothing scary. It's just like all, everything is fine, and I'm feeling great. So I just feel happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. You had many experiences here in Monte-Carlo. Is there one memory you remember more?

DAVID GOFFIN: The semi against Rafa. It's my best result. But there were many matches, like my victory against Novak or Dominic Thiem.

Each time you play on beautiful courts here, the center court is wonderful, there is a good atmosphere. It's always full. It's one of the most beautiful center courts in the world. Only good memories and many good matches. It's an important tournament I wanted to play for the last time.

Q. You said you loved this tournament. Can you explain why? Why is it special?

DAVID GOFFIN: I played it 12 times, and it's always the beginning of clay court season. I love this season, and often I started it here. So I always feel fresh coming here, I'm happy to be back in Europe, the good weather comes back. Everything is very positive coming back here. I can live at home here. Since 2014 I live here, and I have the opportunity of sleeping in my own bed. It's a lot better.

So all this put together means that I feel really good here. My family's around most of the time. So all this makes me feel good.

Q. What triggered your decision to stop playing? Was it a difficult decision?

DAVID GOFFIN: It was a difficult decision, but at the same time, sometimes it's not the decision-making that is difficult. What is difficult is to realize what you feel inside of yourself. I kept saying, I have to continue, I have to continue. But sometimes you see your motivation or your body's not following. So you don't understand what is happening, and you think I don't have enough energy, I don't have enough motivation. Sometimes I think, well, if I play only once, it will be enough.

All these little things showed me that maybe I was not as eager as before. Then you start wondering, and you ask yourself, do you really want to continue? So we started talking with people around me, my family. I spoke with my wife, too.

At a certain moment, I realized it was the moment for me. I didn't feel good anymore, and once you realize that, making the decision is easy. I said, I want to do something else now.

I would have liked to continue for a few more years, but it's complicated, because tennis is at a very high level right now. You can't be 100% all the time physically, tennistically. You can't just win a few matches and continue. This is not how it works.