Lois Boisson, ranked 361st in the world, continued her remarkable Cinderella story at the French Open, stunning Mirra Andreeva to reach the semi-finals in her debut appearance at the tournament.
The 22-year-old French wildcard had already created ripples at Roland-Garros by upsetting American Jessica Pegula to make the quarter-finals. She maintained her impressive form by eliminating the sixth seed, Mirra Andreeva, with a decisive 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 victory.
Prior to this year`s event, Boisson was perhaps best known for an unusual courtside comment from Britain`s Harriet Dart to an umpire regarding her. However, she emerged triumphant on Wednesday afternoon, securing a memorable win in the French capital.
Key facts about Lois Boisson`s French Open run
Started the tournament ranked world No. 361 and France`s No. 24.
Guaranteed to rise to at least world No. 61 and become France`s No. 1 after this tournament.
First Frenchwoman to reach the semi-finals at Roland-Garros since Marion Bartoli in 2011.
First Frenchwoman in the Open Era to achieve this as a wildcard entry.
She is only the third player since 1980 to reach a Grand Slam main-draw semi-final on debut, following Monica Seles (French Open 1989) and Jennifer Capriati (French Open 1990).
Lois Boisson is clearly on the rise.
This victory was particularly emotional for Boisson, who missed her planned debut in Paris last year due to a severe knee injury sustained just two weeks prior, which required nine months of recovery time.
With her ranking having dropped significantly due to the injury, Boisson had been uncertain if she would even receive a wildcard entry this year.
In poignant scenes on a packed, lively Court Philippe-Chatrier, she fell to the clay covering her eyes after the win, then gestured to the roaring crowd.
“It`s incredible. Thank you for the support. I have no words,” Boisson expressed to the jubilant home crowd, who had been chanting her name and cheering enthusiastically throughout the match.
She confessed, “I think I moved too much early on because I was so nervous. But I battled hard in that intense first set. At the beginning of the second, I felt somewhat drained, but I persevered and completed the task.”
The pressure proved too much for the young Andreeva, who had two set points in the first set but experienced a complete collapse in the second. She was seen telling the crowd to “shut up,” received a code violation for hitting a ball into the stands, became tearful, and reportedly asked her mother Raisa to leave her player`s box.
Boisson recovered from deficits of 3-1 and 5-3 in the first set, saving two set points before narrowly winning the tie-break. She remained composed in the second set as Andreeva faltered from a 3-0 lead, allowing Boisson to win the final six games.
A Raducanu-esque Ascent?
Starting the tournament ranked 361st, the French player has made an astonishing leap of 296 positions, reaching a projected career-high of 65th thanks to the 780 points gained by reaching the semi-finals.
This marks the most significant ranking climb from a single Grand Slam performance since Emma Raducanu`s stunning victory at the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, where she climbed 127 spots from 150th to 23rd.
Tennis icon John McEnroe, a French Open finalist in 1984, commented on Boisson: “I`m thoroughly impressed. I hadn`t heard of her before this event. I was aware of her injury and missed time, but it appears she used that period for physical conditioning. Her strength and fitness seem key. This feels like a dream narrative! It`s unbelievable.”
Tim Henman added his perspective: “The crowd`s influence was significant, in my opinion. They really boosted her, and it seemed to frustrate Andreeva slightly.”
Coco Gauff Reaches Semi-Finals After Tough Match
Boisson is set to face Coco Gauff next. Gauff navigated her toughest challenge yet, battling past fellow American Madison Keys to also reach the semi-finals.
The match was somewhat untidy, marked by a combined total of 101 unforced errors and 14 service breaks. It concluded 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-1 in favor of the world number 2.
“Maddie was playing effectively, hitting the ball very fast and low, so my focus was simply to contend for every point,” stated Gauff, who was the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2022.
“I understood the need to cover the court extensively today and to capitalize on any short balls.” She added, “Advancing through this difficult match means a great deal. I`m delighted to progress and return to the semi-finals. I`ll appreciate this win today and prepare for the next match.”
Previously, Gauff had advanced through what was considered the less challenging side of the draw without losing a single set.
However, in a tense first set for both players, Gauff rallied from a 4-1 disadvantage and even held a set point at 5-4, before Keys ultimately won the tie-break.
Gauff built a 4-1 lead in the second set but saw Keys pull level before securing a crucial break and hold to force a deciding set.
Keys, the Australian Open champion, appeared to lose confidence in the final set, while Gauff`s serve improved significantly after hitting nine double faults across the first two sets.
A passing shot down the line created three match points. The 20-year-old Gauff celebrated loudly when Keys` return landed long, sealing the win in two hours and 11 minutes.
