It may have ended in the narrowest of defeats but Team Bath Tennis ace Toby Samuel produced a performance to be proud of on his senior Wimbledon men's singles debut. The wildcard went toe to toe with 15th seed and French Open semi-finalist Jakub Mensik during five incredible sets on Court 3, only losing out in a match tie-break as the Czech progressed 5-7 6-3 6-3 3-6 7-6 (10-7). Samuel, coached by Ian MacDonald and...
In-form Team Bath Tennis ace Toby Samuel will face French Open semi-finalist Jakub Menšík in the men’s singles first round at Wimbledon 2026. The match - scheduled for Court 3 on Tuesday 30th June - will be another opportunity for Samuel, coached by Ian MacDonald and Tiarnan Brady, to test himself against the world’s best after overcoming two players in the top 60 on the way to the semi-finals at the Lexus Eastbourne Open this...
Team Bath Tennis ace Toby Samuel will gain more Grand Slam experience after being awarded wildcard entry into the men’s singles main draw at Wimbledon 2026. It will be a second successive Grand Slam appearance for Samuel, coached by Ian MacDonald and Tiarnan Brady, after making his debut at the French Open last month. Samuel, who reached a new career high of 144 in the ATP world rankings this week, has been preparing for Wimbledon...
Team Bath Tennis ace Toby Samuel has set his sights on more Grand Slam appearances after making his debut at the French Open. Samuel, coached by Ian MacDonald and Tiernan Brady at the University of Bath, produced three outstanding performances to become only the fourth British man in 50 years to progress through qualifying and book his place in the main draw at Roland Garros. He faced world number eight Alex de Minaur and acquitted...
The University of Bath has been reaccredited as a UK Sport Elite Training Centre (ETC), recognising its ongoing role in supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes to achieve success on the world stage. The accreditation, first awarded in 2023, highlights the University’s contribution to providing world-class daily training environments, bringing together high-quality facilities, expert practitioners and a strong performance culture to support athletes and coaches. As part of the UK Sport network of Elite Training Centres,...
There were victories on the hockey and rugby pitches when five University of Bath student sports teams contested national finals at BUCS Big Wednesday 2026. Both of Bath’s hockey 1st teams reached the National Vase Final, with the women sealing the title thanks to 3-2 shootout victory over Exeter 1sts after tying 1-1 in normal time. They had beaten Exeter 2nds in the same way in the semi-finals. [caption id="attachment_72802" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] The University of...
Toby Samuel made it back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles and Esther Adeshina won her first professional singles crown during another outstanding weekend for Team Bath Tennis. In-form Samuel didn’t drop a set as he won the men’s singles title in Hersonissos, Greece for a second successive week, defeating Czechia’s Maxim Mrva 6-2 6-3 in the final to secure his fourth Challenger trophy since November. It stretched Samuel’s unbeaten run to 15 matches and moved the...
Team Bath Tennis ace Toby Samuel has risen into the world’s top 200 for the first time after winning the third ATP Challenger Tour title of his career in Hersonsissos, Greece. Samuel, coached by Ian MacDonald and Tiarnan Brady at the University of Bath, dropped just one set across five matches and was particularly dominant in the closing stages of the tournament, beating home player Stefanos Sakellaridis 6-2 6-0 in the semi-finals before securing the...
With a new Olympic year about to dawn, it is time to reflect on another memorable 12 months of sport at the University of Bath during 2025. It has been a year where achievement and impact have been measured not just by the traditional yardstick of medals and awards – among them the accolade of The Times and Sunday Times Sport University of the Year 2026 – but also innovation, collaboration and ambition. The UK’s...
Team Bath Tennis ace Toby Samuel backed up his first ATP Challenger Tour title in fine style by winning a second just a week later. Samuel’s breakthrough success came at the Soma Bay Challenger in Egypt, where he beat second seed Ilia Simakin 6-4 6-4 in his opening match before defeating Peter Fajta 6-3 7-6(4) and Alexandr Binda 6-2 6-3. [caption id="attachment_72491" align="alignright" width="292"] (Above) Toby Samuel celebrates his Soma Bay Challenger success and (top)...
