Paris, May 22 -- The past 18 months could not have gone much better for Toby Samuel had the Briton scripted it himself.
The 23-year-old booked his spot in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time in his career on Thursday, having come through three rounds of French Open qualifying.
It is the latest high in a tale of patience and perseverance - one that has seen him rise to the cusp of the world's top 150.
Samuel missed much of the 2024 season after suffering bone bruising in his right arm, slipping to almost 2,000 in the rankings.
He revived his career when he returned, winning 36 of 39 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour at the end of 2025 and climbing more places than anyone else on the men's tour in that year.
The momentum continued...