Coach of David Goffin since November 2020, Germain Gigounon has never doubted. Neither his foal nor his method.
Germain Gigounon, what was your secret to bringing David Goffin back to the level he is today?
“I don’t think there is a miracle recipe. Simply, David is a player who plays a game full of liveliness, who takes the ball early and when it’s physically complicated, especially with this knee problem this season. past, it ended up running through his head. He began to doubt and it was hard to chain the matches. This is the reason why he had stopped his 2021 season after the US Open, to Treating his knee. Then we had to get back to winning ways. David is someone who relies a lot on confidence.”
He has fully found it now…
“Little by little, we saw a more combative David. Already in Indian Wells and in Miami, we saw him go to the fight even if it did not yet translate into successes. The arrival of clay and this entry title in Marrakech did him a lot of good. He played five games in five days before continuing with Monaco, so he played eight games in nine days. That was, in my opinion, the trigger. When we play one game a week and it’s more complicated physically, we’re not at peace.”
Were there times when you doubted your method?
“Not at all! We agreed on what he had to work on, on the importance of playing a lot of matches. We knew that the click could happen. We talked a lot together and he continued to trust everyone. the team. Some players are used to changing all their staff when things are not going well, but we stayed united. It was essential to continue in the right direction. It proves that we were right.”
How does David feel physically, after his marathon in the round of 16 against the American Tiafoe?
“This morning (Editor’s note: Monday), he was fine. We felt he was a little stiff when he woke up, but that’s normal. We trained for an hour and he rested well, in particular with a lot of care from physio to be ready for this Tuesday.”
It won’t be easy against Cameron Norrie… What do you know about the Briton?
“He reached the final at Queen’s last year and he finds himself in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon this season having won his matches quite easily. He is a very solid player on all surfaces. He is consistent and solid, with a very good mentality. This announces an open match and a good opportunity for the two players who will live their first semi-final if successful. David will have to return to the fight, like this Sunday.”
Have you already set the next deadlines?
“After Wimbledon, he will take a little rest before preparing for the American tour on the hard. We will surely go to Washington then Cincinnati and Montreal, where he may have to go through the qualifications given his next ranking (see also ). In view of what he has shown, it is really not deserved but it is the rule. The important thing is that his game is back, that he is well in his head and his sneakers.”