Andy Murray got his Indian Wells 2024 campaign off with a straight sets victory over David Goffin. By doing so, he held on to his tag as the only player to have been ranked World No.1 (since 2004) and never be defeated by the Belgian. All World No.1’s in the past two decades, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, have at least once lost to Goffin.
The first-round win at Indian Wells 2024 took Murray’s head-to-head against Goffin to 8-0. Since their first meeting in 2014, the latter has never been able to get one over him. This does not count the walkover the three-time Grand Slam winner gave at the 2015 Italian Open.
2017 was arguably the best ATP season of Goffin’s career. He beat Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters that year. Later, he defeated Nadal and Federer in the round robin stage and the semifinals of the 2017 ATP Finals, respectively. Collecting wins over each of the Big 3 and finishing runner-up in the year-end championships saw him achieve a career-best World No.7 rank. As fate would have it, Murray did not cross paths with him that year, which perhaps saved his perfect record.
Goffin also has one win each against Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz. In fact, he boasts a 1-1 head-to-head against the latter.
Murray has regained a bit of his touch after suffering a torrid run in the last few months. After about five winless months, this win against Goffin marked the third straight tournament where he has reached the second round. He will now face a stern test against Andrey Rublev in the Round of 64.
Can Jannik Sinner join Andy Murray in this offbeat record?
Goffin is currently ranked World No.112 and is a shadow of his former self. Hence, it seems unlikely that Murray will lose his perfect record now. The Scot himself is close to winding down his career, saying he will not play past the summer of 2024 (Eurosport). If another Goffin vs Murray clash does happen, though, the latter will likely win.
Hence, the former World No.1 will retire owning the unique feat of being the only World No.1, current or former, to not lose to the Belgian, which even the Big 3 could not claim.
However, judging by recent results, Andy Murray may lose his status as the only World No.1 to never lose to David Goffin in the near future. Jannik Sinner has a 2-0 record against the 2017 ATP Finals runner-up. The Italian, though, is a significant way off from usurping the numero uno position from Novak Djokovic.
But Sinner has taken his gameplay to the next level in 2024. He has already won the Australian Open and the Rotterdam Open and looks ready for more. With Djokovic being extremely selective of his tournaments and Carlos Alcaraz struggling for form, Sinner could mount a genuine challenge for the World No.1 spot this year. In fact, he could rise to World No.2 right after the Indian Wells if things go his way (Live Rankings).
Thus, if Sinner keeps his form at this level, he could join Murray as the second World No.1 since 2004 to not lose to Goffin.
