Toby Samuel Claims First Grand Slam Win on US Open Debut

British qualifier Toby Samuel secured the first Grand Slam main-draw victory of his career on Sunday, defeating Tomas Machac 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round of the US Open. BBC Sport reported that the 23-year-old completed the win in just over 90 minutes on his main-draw debut in New York.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RjYkCuIio0

Samuel reached the tournament through qualifying, where he recovered from a set down in each of his three matches. He did not require another comeback against Machac, a former world number 20, controlling the first two sets before responding to an early setback in the third.

The Briton dropped only five points across nine service games during the opening two sets and put together a seven-game run that included three consecutive holds to love. Machac moved 2-0 ahead in the third set, but Samuel answered by winning the next six games. He saved two break points during that sequence before closing out the match.

BBC Sport reported that Samuel finished with 24 winners and 13 unforced errors, while Machac recorded 22 winners and 25 unforced errors. The result moved Samuel inside the top 100 in the live ATP rankings and earned him $140,000 in prize money, the largest payday of his career to date.

The victory continues a sharp rise for Samuel after injury disrupted much of his 2024 season and sent his ranking close to 2,000th. He won 36 of 39 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour as he returned to the top 300 in 2025, then qualified for his Grand Slam debut at the 2026 French Open. He later reached the Eastbourne semi-finals, received a Wimbledon wildcard and won a third Challenger title of the year in Winnipeg.

Samuel will next face Czech 18th seed Jiri Lehecka in the second round. His current live ranking would also put him in position for direct entry into January's Australian Open, which would complete appearances at all four Grand Slam tournaments within a year of his top-250 debut.