At Roland-Garros, Loïs Boisson, ranked 361st, continues her impressive run. Having upset third-seeded Jessica Pegula in the previous round, she went on to defeat sixth-ranked Mirra Andreeva with a score of 7-6 (6), 6-3 on Wednesday. The crowd, roaring for their French wild-card entry, watched as she secured a place in the semifinals of the French Open.
Last year, Boisson suffered a torn ACL in her left knee just a week before her home Grand Slam, preventing her from competing. This year, she is not only participating but is also on the brink of reaching the final.
“It’s incredible, no matter what, given what happened last year and all the difficult moments I went through,” Boisson commented after her victory.
Boisson, 22, was mostly unknown outside of tennis circles before capturing attention in Paris. This is her inaugural Grand Slam main draw, making her the first woman since 1989 to reach the semifinals in her debut major tournament. The last to achieve this feat were Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati, also at the French Open. Boisson is additionally notable for being the youngest French semifinalist at a Grand Slam since Amelie Mauresmo at Wimbledon in 1999. The last Frenchwoman to claim the Roland-Garros title was Mary Pierce 25 years ago.
Playing under the closed roof of court Philippe-Chatrier, Andreeva’s frustration was palpable as the crowd fervently supported Boisson. Cheering “Loïs, Loïs” between points, waving Tricolor flags, and loudly engaging during the match, they even applauded the missteps of the Russian teenager.
In the first set, momentum shifted continually with both competitors showcasing exceptional shot-making skills. Boisson overcame a break deficit twice, employing powerful spins and deep groundstrokes to challenge Andreeva. The Russian player appeared tense during crucial points, failing to maintain composure and missing an opportunity to secure the set at 5-3 up. After saving three set points and forcing a tiebreaker, she finally succumbed, committing two backhand errors.
The second set began with Andreeva in strong form, seizing a 3-0 lead. However, Boisson fought back with a stunning backhand winner down the line, igniting the supportive crowd. Andreeva then displayed her frustration by receiving a warning after netting a simple forehand volley, then angrily sending a ball into the stands. In dealing with the umpire over a disputed call against her, which awarded Boisson three break points, Andreeva managed to fend off one with a forehand winner but double-faulted and couldn’t recover.
“The first set was super intense, and I was really struggling at the start of the second, but I managed to regroup and finish like that,” remarked Boisson, anticipating a major leap in her ranking.
Previously having reached a career-high of No. 152 before her injury, Boisson is set to climb at least to No. 68 by Monday. She may climb higher if she manages to achieve another upset against No. 2 seeded Coco Gauff in the semifinals.
An unseeded player reaching the French Open final twice within the last four years shows the unpredictable nature of the tournament. Notably, Barbora Krejcikova won as an unseeded champion in 2021, and Karolina Muchova reached the finals in 2023.