Toby Samuel punched his ticket to the French Open main draw by beating Brazil's Bueno, ranked 185th, in qualifying. The moment the result sank in, Samuel stood frozen with his hands on his head in disbelief. It caps a remarkable run that began when he finally felt healthy midway through 2025, and he has won four Challenger titles since November.

Samuel's road through qualifying reads like a comeback story. He first dismantled American Martin Damm Jr, the seventh seed and world number 112, before rallying from a 5-7 first-set loss to upset Goffin 6-3 6-3. He has never played a singles match on the ATP Tour, let alone a Grand Slam, and now stands on the brink of his first main-draw appearance at Roland Garros.

A second British qualifier could join him. Felix Gill, ranked 237, faces Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet, ranked 147, on Friday for a chance at his own first major singles appearance. Samuel will now learn his first-round opponent and prepare for the biggest match of his career on tennis's biggest stage.