Britain’s 23‑year‑old Toby Samuel edged former world No.7 David Goffin 5‑7 6‑3 6‑3 in the second round of French Open qualifying, putting him one win away from his Grand Slam main‑draw debut. The comeback on Suzanne Lenglen marked Goffin’s final Roland Garros appearance and lifted Samuel to a career‑high No.159.

Samuel entered Paris ranked outside the top 1,300 a year ago, but four Challenger titles have propelled him into the top 200 and earned 57,000 euros from his first two qualifying wins. That sum pushes his earnings to £118,300, and a main‑draw berth would add another 48,000 euros. If he wins the final qualifying match, he also secures at least 87,000 euros in first‑round prize money.

British hopes were mixed as Jay Clarke fell 6‑4 6‑3 to France’s 382nd‑ranked Thomas Faurel and Harriet Dart lost 6‑1 6‑4 to world No.159 Leyre Romero Gormaz. Jan Choinski withdrew before facing Pierre‑Hugues Herbert, while former champions Bianca Andreescu and Karolína Plíšková also exited in qualifying, underscoring the depth of this year’s field.

Samuel’s next hurdle is Peru’s Gonzalo Bueno; a victory would place him among the few British qualifiers to reach a Grand Slam main draw since the Open era. The win would not only deliver a career milestone but also boost British representation on the Paris courts, where home‑grown success has been scarce.