There is another benefit to Samuel – he can afford his own hotel room at Roland Garros, instead of bunking up with his coach.
“That is probably the secret of why I’ve done well,” Samuel joked.
The numbers behind Samuel’s rise are incredible:
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Since the end of 2024, he has risen 1,786 places to 159 in the current rankings
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In the past year he has won 67 of his 80 matches
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Reaching the Roland Garros main draw means he has boosted his career prize money total by 63.5% this week
Samuel is guaranteed to receive at least £75,200 as a reward for his efforts, even if he loses his first-round match when the tournament begins on Sunday.
After overcoming former world number seven David Goffin on Wednesday, Samuel battled back from a set down against Peru’s Gonzalo Bueno to win 5-7 6-1 6-3 in Paris.
The Briton’s instinctive reaction to winning was to place his hands on his head in disbelief as he attempted to process his achievement.
It was a second memorable comeback in as many days, with Samuel having beat Goffin 5-7 6-3 6-3 after toppling American Martin Damm Jr – world number 112 and seeded seventh in qualifying – in the first round.
Now, he must now prepare for the biggest match of his career after overcoming the 185th-ranked Bueno.
Samuel, who reached the Wimbledon boys’ doubles semi-finals in 2019 alongside fellow Briton Arthur Fery, has never contested a singles match on the ATP Tour – never mind at a Grand Slam.
He will now eagerly wait to find out who his French Open first-round opponent when the qualifiers are placed into the draw on Friday.
He could yet be joined by Britain’s world number 237 Felix Gill, who will also bid for a first major singles appearance when he takes on 147th-ranked Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet on Friday.
