PARIS — French wild-card entrant Loïs Boisson made a stunning debut at the French Open, securing her place in the quarterfinals after a nail-biting match on the prestigious Court Philippe-Chatrier. Despite never having played at Roland-Garros before, Boisson remained unfazed, defeating the No. 3 seed, Jessica Pegula, with scores of 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a gripping fourth-round clash on Monday.
Ranked a mere 361st, Boisson made history as the lowest-ranked woman to defeat a top-five opponent at the tournament in the last four decades. This feat places her alongside No. 179 Aniko Kapros’s victory over No. 5 Justine Henin in 2002, marking the lowest ranking for a player reaching the quarterfinals since at least 1985.
As Pegula, last year’s U.S. Open runner-up, faced Boisson’s determined gameplay, the French player showed visible nerves while serving for the match, warding off three break points. When Pegula missed a potential winner at the net and showed her frustration, Boisson seized her first match point, launching a decisive forehand winner down the line after a robust serve. With her win confirmed, Boisson raised her arms in triumph.
Expressing gratitude in her post-match interview, Boisson exclaimed to her supporters, “Thank you to all of you. Playing on this court with such an atmosphere was really incredible.” She charmed the crowd further by quipping, “I’m really happy on here. I can stay a long time if you like,” prompting chants of “Loïs! Loïs!” as she waved back to the spectators.
Being the last remaining French singles player in either draw, Boisson capitalizes on her clay-court familiarity, having honed her skills on it since she started tennis at age 8. Looking ahead to her quarterfinals match against sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday, Boisson humorously but confidently remarked, “I hope to win, right?”
Elsewhere at the French Open on Monday, a quarterfinal showdown was set between two accomplished American players, No. 2 Coco Gauff and No. 7 Madison Keys, each boasting one Grand Slam title. Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, cruised past No. 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 7-5, while Keys, the Australian Open victor, defeated fellow American Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 7-5.
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who reached the semifinals last year, overcame No. 17 Daria Kasatkina 7-5, 6-3 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Their camaraderie was evident as they shared a light-hearted moment at the net, with Kasatkina tossing her wristband to Andreeva in jest.
In the men’s tournament, Novak Djokovic achieved his 100th career victory at the French Open, setting up a forthcoming encounter with No. 3 Alexander Zverev, last year’s finalist. Djokovic powered through his match against Cam Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, while Zverev progressed after Tallon Griekspoor retired with an abdominal injury. Concurrently, No. 62 Alexander Bublik surprised No. 5 Jack Draper, triumphing 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to next face top seed Jannik Sinner, who maintained a flawless 18-match Grand Slam streak.
Tuesday’s schedule at Roland-Garros will see the quarterfinals kick off with women’s matches featuring No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng and three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek versus No. 13 Elina Svitolina. The men’s lineup includes No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti against No. 15 Frances Tiafoe, along with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz facing No. 12 Tommy Paul in the evening. This marks a milestone for American men’s tennis, with two players reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since Jim Courier and Pete Sampras did in 1996, succeeding Andre Agassi’s solo appearance in 2003.