Wimbledon 2026: Toby Samuel denied upset over Jakub Mensik in fifth-set tie-break
• 3 minute read
British wild card Toby Samuel narrowly missed out on one of the upsets of the tournament against 15th seed and Roland Garros semi-finalist Jakub Mensik – losing out in a match tie-break in the fifth set.
Samuel led by a break in the deciding set, but Mensik clawed his way back to seal a first round win 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) in three hours and 37 minutes.
A difficult result for Samuel to take given how close he came to knocking out one of the top seeds at SW19, but the young Brit can take plenty of positives from his Wimbledon debut.
The Briton showed he has the level to go toe-to-toe with the very best in the world, and in the end there were only two points between them across five sets (159-157).
The Czech star was very complimentary of the Brit in his post-match speech and the level he showed on No.3 Court.
“It’s a tough one, Toby played some unbelievable tennis,” Mensik said. “He already showed that last week in Eastbourne. The level that he was performing, he didn’t give me any free points. He did an incredible job. I’m just happy that I can walk out and be in the second round.”
Overall, it’s been a positive grass court season for Samuel, coming off the back of his first ATP semi-final at the Lexus Eastbourne Open last week.
The 24-year-old won two ATP Challenger titles earlier this year in Hersonissos, and his ranking rise has been gathering pace. Now just outside the world’s top-100, he’s certainly going to be one to watch over the coming months and years.
Samuel – like today’s British winners Jacob Fearnley and Arthur Fery – has spent several years playing in the NCAA US college system, representing the University of South Carolina.
His years competing in front of the energetic college crowds would have stood him in good stead for the reception he received throughout the entirety of his match against Mensik.
The British star played up to the occasion and took the opening set while only losing five points on serve.
Mensik is one of the best young players in the world right now and is fresh off the back of a semi-final run at the French Open, where he defeated Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Joao Fonseca.
The Czech responded well, and while Samuel continued to push, Mensik had that extra quality in key moments to see out the second and third sets.
An early break for the Brit in the fourth put the match in the balance. Mensik fired long on the Brit’s first and only set point to draw the two players level, as Samuel called on the crowd to raise the noise going into the fifth.
The British star looked set to run away with it at 3-1 in the fifth. However, in a match of twists and turns, the world No.18 had other plans, reeling off four straight games to give himself the chance to serve out the match.
Mensik had won his last three five-set matches coming into this one, but Samuel broke back to love to force the former Miami Open champion all the way to a deciding match tie-break.
In the end, it was heartbreak for the rising British star. Mensik won a key point at 7-6 with a nicely executed volley, and Samuel followed it up with a double fault.
Mensik made his chance count at the first time of asking, booking his place in the second round for a second consecutive year.
Elsewhere, Fearnley and Fery secured comeback victories to make the second round of Wimbledon for a second time.
