Team Bath’s own Toby Samuel is set to make his Grand Slam singles debut after an impressive run through the French Open qualifiers. Just a year ago, Samuel was ranked outside the world’s top 1300, but his remarkable ascent to a career-high 159th place followed four titles on the ATP Challenger Tour, the secondary tier of men’s professional tennis.
The 23-year-old began his qualifying campaign by defeating seventh seed Martin Damm from the USA. He then produced a memorable comeback to overcome former world number seven David Goffin, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, in what was the Belgian veteran’s farewell match at Roland Garros.
In the final qualifying round, Samuel once again showed resilience, rallying from a first-set loss of 7-5 to defeat Peru’s Gonzalo Bueno 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 and secure his place in the main draw.
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By reaching the main draw, Samuel has guaranteed himself €87,000 (£75,200) in prize money. Not only will this be his first ATP Tour main draw appearance, but it also places him on one of tennis’s grandest stages. His ranking is expected to climb even higher as a result of this success.
Samuel will learn his first-round opponent on Friday, once the qualification rounds are fully completed.