British qualifier Toby Samuel recorded his first Grand Slam victory at the US Open, defeating former world No. 20 Tomas Machac 6‑2 6‑3 6‑2 in roughly 90 minutes. The 23‑year‑old, who earned his place through three qualifying wins in New York, described the achievement as the fulfilment of a childhood dream.
“It means everything to me. It’s what I dreamt of as a kid watching these large tournaments,” Samuel told BBC Radio 5 Live. He added, “Being capable to triumph my first Grand Slam lucifer is unbelievable.”
Samuel’s breakthrough comes after a difficult stretch two years ago, when a bone bruise in his right limb saw him drop to around 2 000th in the ATP rankings and miss much of the 2024 season. Since then he has climbed into the live top 100 and collected $140 000 (£103 000) in prize money – the largest single payday of his career to date.
His rise has been built on strong Challenger performances; Samuel won 36 of 39 matches on the ATP Tour Challenger circuit last year to crack the top 300, and he has continued to improve in 2026. A Winchester native, he made his Grand Slam debut at the French Open after qualifying, having never previously played an ATP Tour match. He followed that with a semi‑final run at Eastbourne, a Wimbledon wildcard entry, and a third Challenger title of the year on the hard courts of Winnipeg.
Samuel’s current ranking would grant him automatic entry into the January 2027 Australian Open, completing a full set of major‑tournament appearances just one year after breaking into the top 250.
In New York, fellow Briton Katie Boulter also advanced to the second round, overcoming American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee 6‑4 3‑6 6‑0.
Sincity Press Staff
1 day ago 2 min read
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English (US)·