Toby Samuel, the rising star from Team Bath Tennis, showcased his impressive talent this week at the Lexus Eastbourne Open, pushing World No. 38 Zizou Bergs to the limit in the tournament semi-final. Although Samuel served for the match with a set and break lead, Bergs roared back to clinch the victory 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2.
Samuel’s Eastbourne run has been remarkable. Entering the main draw as a ‘lucky loser’ after a tight qualifying defeat to French Open semi-finalist Matteo Arnaldi, Samuel seized the opportunity to record his first ATP Tour-level win by defeating World No. 54 Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-1, 7-6(7). He then overcame Juan Manuel Cerúndolo 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals, defeating another Argentine who recently made headlines by beating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros.
Coached by Ian MacDonald and Tiarnan Brady, Samuel’s confidence is high as he prepares for his Wimbledon 2026 debut. In the first round, he will face Czech talent Jakub Menšík, ranked No. 17 and seeded 15th, who impressed with a French Open semi-final appearance and last year’s third-round showing at Wimbledon.
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Alongside Samuel’s breakthroughs, fellow Team Bath player Giles Hussey had a strong Eastbourne campaign, reaching the last 16 with wins over top 100 opponents James Duckworth and Marco Trungelliti. Hussey’s run ended in the second round against France’s Quentin Halys.
Attention now shifts to Wimbledon, where former University of Bath Sporting Scholar Ben Jones will make his senior debut in the men’s doubles alongside Joshua Paris. The pair have momentum after capturing the ATP Lexus Birmingham Open grass court title this summer.
Meanwhile, Team Bath’s Esther Adeshina made history by progressing through pre-qualifying to Wimbledon Qualifying for the first time. She earned a career-best victory over World No. 108 Moyuka Uchijima but was then bested by Harmony Tan in the next round. Reflecting on her tournament, Adeshina said, “Coming through pre-qualifying and playing here has been amazing. I’m ready to come back stronger next time.”
With several Team Bath players making strides in elite tennis, the future looks bright as they gear up for the grand Wimbledon stage.