Samuel Secures Grand Slam Debut
Before this year's French Open, Toby Samuel had only won one Grand Slam qualifying match, which occurred at Wimbledon in 2023.
Britain's Toby Samuel will make his Grand Slam main draw debut after winning the final round of French Open qualifying.
The 23-year-old has risen to 159th in the world rankings following a series of title victories on the ATP Challenger Tour, having been ranked outside the top 1,300 globally just 12 months ago.
After defeating former world number seven David Goffin on Wednesday, Samuel came back from a set down against Peru's Gonzalo Bueno to win 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in Paris.
He is now assured of more than doubling his career prize money total of £118,300.
Samuel will receive at least £166,000 as compensation for his efforts, even if he loses his first-round match when the tournament begins on Sunday.
Overcoming Injury and Ranking Challenges
Samuel missed much of the 2024 season due to bone bruising in his right arm, which caused his ranking to drop to nearly 2,000 in the world.
He has acknowledged receiving support from fellow British player Jack Draper during those challenging times and has sought to reciprocate when Draper experienced a similar injury last year.
Samuel told earlier this year that he did not feel completely healthy until midway through 2025.
Since then, he has steadily improved, winning four Challenger titles—the second tier of men's professional tennis—since November.
Preparing for a Major Career Milestone
Samuel now prepares for the most significant match of his career after overcoming the 185th-ranked Bueno.
His instinctive reaction to winning was to place his hands on his head in disbelief as he processed the achievement.
This marked his second memorable comeback in as many days, having beaten Goffin 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 after defeating American Martin Damm Jr—world number 112 and seeded seventh in qualifying—in the first round.
Samuel has never played a singles match on the ATP Tour, let alone at a Grand Slam, but he now eagerly awaits the announcement of his first-round opponent at the French Open as he steps onto tennis's biggest stage.
He may be joined by Britain's world number 237 Felix Gill, who will also attempt to make his first major singles appearance when he faces 147th-ranked Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet on Friday.
French Open Details and Coverage
The French Open runs from Sunday, 24 May to Sunday, 7 June.
Live text commentaries of key matches are available on the website and app, along with daily live commentary from Court Philippe-Chatrier broadcast across 5 Live Sport, , and the website and app.
