Team Bath Tennis star Toby Samuel has had an impressive run on grass, showcasing his potential ahead of Wimbledon 2026. Samuel, coached by Ian MacDonald and Tiarnan Brady, earned a spot in the men’s singles first round at Wimbledon, where he will face French Open semi-finalist Jakub Menšík.
Menšík, ranked 17 and seeded 15th at Wimbledon, has demonstrated his skill with a deep run at Roland Garros and a third-round appearance at Wimbledon last year. However, Samuel enters the tournament with confidence after a breakthrough performance at the Lexus Eastbourne Open.
Initially entering Eastbourne as a ‘lucky loser’ after narrowly missing qualification in a tough match against Matteo Arnaldi, Samuel capitalized on his chance by recording his first ATP Tour-level victory over world No. 54 Thiago Agustin Tirante, winning 6-1, 7-6(7). He then defeated Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, known for his upset over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros, with a solid 6-3, 6-4 win.
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In the semi-finals, Samuel served for the match while leading against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs (world No. 38), only to see Bergs mount a determined comeback and claim the victory 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2. Despite the loss, Samuel’s performance confirmed his rising status in the professional ranks.
Another Team Bath athlete, Giles Hussey, also impressed by reaching the last 16 after qualifying and winning matches against top 100 players James Duckworth and Marco Trungelliti. Hussey defeated Matteo Arnaldi in the first round before falling to Quentin Halys.
Looking ahead to Wimbledon, former University of Bath scholar Ben Jones will make his senior debut in men’s doubles alongside Joshua Paris, following their ATP Lexus Birmingham Open grass-court title win this summer. Jones, who trained with Team Bath Tennis while pursuing degrees in Chemistry and Management, has represented Great Britain Universities with distinction.
On the women’s side, Team Bath’s Esther Adeshina made a splash by advancing from pre-qualifying to Wimbledon Qualifying for the first time. She scored a career-best victory over world No. 108 Moyuka Uchijima before exiting in the second round against Harmony Tan. Reflecting on her progress, Adeshina said, “I’m happy with how the last couple of weeks have gone. Coming through pre-qualifying and getting the opportunity to play here was really great. This experience has been amazing, and I’m ready to go again and come back for more.”
With these promising performances, Team Bath Tennis continues to nurture talents making waves on the professional stage as the excitement for Wimbledon builds.