Less than a month prior, Loïs Boisson harbored doubts about her participation in the 2025 French Open. Her ranking lingered outside the top 500, and she had no prior experience in a Grand Slam main draw. Her only hope rested on a wildcard entry, which she hadn`t anticipated. Yet, the 22-year-old received one from the French Tennis Federation.
Just a few weeks later, Boisson has crafted one of the most memorable narratives seen at the tournament. She transformed from a relatively unknown player into an overnight sensation in the span of two weeks.
On Wednesday, performing before an enthusiastic, packed crowd on Philippe-Chatrier court, Boisson made history by becoming the first wildcard in the Open Era to reach the semifinals at the French Open. This stunning achievement came after a victory over the No. 6 seed, Mirra Andreeva, with a score of 7-6 (6), 6-3. Furthermore, she is only the third woman in the last four decades to advance to the final four in her Grand Slam main draw debut.
Following her win, Boisson collapsed onto the clay court, lying on her back with legs stretched out, visibly shaking as she covered her face with her hands.
“We are witnessing the emergence of a star right before our eyes,” commented Chris Evert, an 18-time major champion, during the television broadcast.
After securing her spot in the quarterfinals on Monday, Boisson told reporters that she would not have believed anyone who predicted such an outcome before the tournament began. However, by Wednesday, she exhibited significantly more self-assurance. Now, the most improbable semifinalist has an opportunity to further etch her name into the history books as she prepares to face No. 2 seed Coco Gauff on Thursday for a place in the final.
While others might perceive her as a Cinderella story, she clearly stated that she was far from satisfied with her accomplishments thus far.
“Yes, it`s a dream,” Boisson told the media after her match on Wednesday. “For sure I will go for the dream, because my dream is to win it, not just to be in the semifinal. So I will try my best for it.”
Although she has dreamed of winning the French Open since childhood, Boisson`s primary goal for the past few years was simply to play in the tournament.
After a strong start to her 2024 season, which included winning three ITF titles and a WTA 125 title in Saint-Malo, she was closer than ever to achieving this goal. Her ranking surged to a career-high (at that time) of No. 152, and her hard work earned her a French Open wildcard. She was overjoyed.
Days later, while competing in the first round of another WTA 125 tournament, Boisson`s aspirations were shattered instantly when she tore her left ACL. Surgery followed quickly.
“I was finally truly fulfilled on a tennis court, the process was well underway, surrounded by an awesome team, I was going to play the tournaments that I have dreamed of since I started playing tennis,” Boisson posted on social media at the time, sharing a photo from a hospital bed. “In the space of a week I went from `collapsed` to the ground, the joy of winning my first WTA title, to `collapsed` to the ground because my knee gave out and the pain was immense. The shock is violent, I didn`t imagine the rest of the season this way.”
Her recovery was at times slow and difficult. She spent nine months away from competitive play. Her ranking, which she had worked diligently to improve, dropped rapidly, and she was eager to return.
Boisson officially made her return in February and was back on clay for her third tournament. Since transitioning to clay, she has compiled a 15-6 record, reached the final of two ITF events, and claimed the title in her final tournament before arriving in Paris. (She also garnered attention for a regrettable comment made by an opponent she defeated in April, and her humorous reaction.)
While still far from its previous peak, Boisson`s ranking began to rise again. She was ranked No. 361 globally at the start of the French Open. However, with No. 24 seed Elise Mertens as her first-round opponent, few expected her to even advance to the second round. Reports indicated she had 1,000-1 odds of winning the title at the outset.
Boisson needed three sets, but she managed to defeat Mertens 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, marking what was then the biggest win of her career. She later described the victory as a “feeling that is impossible to describe.”
Her self-belief continued to grow with each match. Boisson dominated Anhelina Kalinina in the second round, losing only three games in total. Facing fellow French player Elsa Jacquemot in the third round, she had to battle back after losing the second set 6-0. But it was her surprising victory over No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, the 2024 US Open runner-up, in the fourth round that truly captured everyone`s attention.
Playing for the first time on Philippe-Chatrier – excluding a practice session years ago – and with the passionate crowd strongly supporting her, Boisson effectively utilized her powerful topspin forehand and impressive movement to recover after dropping the first set. She secured her first-ever win against a top-10 player – an accomplishment made even more remarkable considering she had never before faced a player ranked in the top 60 prior to this tournament.
“She played very well,” Pegula commented after the match. “It seems she`s won many matches recently, even at a lower level than the WTA tour, but that doesn`t really matter when you`re winning matches, and her playing style, being resilient in crucial moments, really helps. I thought she handled that well today.”
On Wednesday against Andreeva, the rapidly rising 18-year-old who reached the Roland Garros semifinals in 2024, Boisson became the first player since Monica Seles in 1989 to defeat multiple top-10 opponents in their major main draw debut. Boisson is now the first French woman to reach the semifinals at the tournament since Marion Bartoli in 2011 and the youngest Frenchwoman to reach the semifinals at any Grand Slam since Amelie Mauresmo, the current French Open tournament director, at the 1999 Australian Open.
“Yes, I believe she is now demonstrating that she is likely a better player than her current ranking suggests,” a defeated Andreeva told reporters.
Women`s tennis has a history of surprise runs at major tournaments. Emma Raducanu emerged from qualifying as a relative unknown to sensationally win the 2021 US Open title. Jelena Ostapenko and Barbora Krejcikova were both unseeded when they claimed their respective French Open titles. Even Iga Swiatek, now a four-time champion at Roland Garros, was ranked No. 54 when she first triumphed there in 2020. However, in many respects, even those stories may not fully compare to Boisson`s.
As the elite players on the WTA Tour have shown increasing consistency in recent years, such Cinderella-style runs have become less common. In fact, this French Open marked the first time all top eight seeds advanced to the second week of a Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 2005. Boisson was the only unseeded player to reach the quarterfinals and one of just two to make it to the fourth round. The other three semifinalists – Gauff, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, and three-time defending champion Swiatek – are all major champions and widely considered the top three players in the game.
Boisson is now projected to rise to No. 65 in Monday`s rankings. If she were to defeat Gauff, her ranking would climb to No. 35. A title win, while seemingly improbable, would place her just outside the top 20. Last month, her career earnings were slightly over $148,000. She has earned approximately $787,900 during this fortnight – with the potential to become an overnight millionaire with an appearance in the final.
Gauff, who defeated Madison Keys in three sets in her quarterfinal match on Wednesday, was unsure of her next opponent when speaking to the media. However, it was evident she was preparing for Boisson and understood the need to avoid complacency.
“Obviously she`s having a great tournament,” said Gauff, who is aiming for her second final at Roland Garros. “I have some experience playing in front of a crowd that might not be cheering for me. It`s something I anticipate if it happens… I think it`s just something I will mentally prepare for and expect to be ready for.”
Boisson told reporters she wouldn`t approach her match against Gauff any differently than her previous opponents and maintained that she doesn`t consider rankings beforehand. “We analyze the player`s game, and I execute my game plan, and that`s it,” she stated matter-of-factly.
Regardless of the outcome on Thursday, Boisson`s career and life have undoubtedly changed permanently. While she won`t receive direct entry into Wimbledon due to the ranking deadline having passed, she has virtually guaranteed her spot in the US Open and most other tournaments she might wish to enter in the near future. However, on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after the most significant moment of her professional career, her focus remained solely on her semifinal match.
And while others might be surprised by her achievements in Paris, Boisson herself is not.
“I don`t consider it a miracle,” Boisson said. “Certainly, I`ve had a bit of luck as well, but I think it`s simply the result of the hard work I`ve put in since I started playing tennis, and also last year with my rehab and everything. It`s just the outcome of hard work. Nothing else.”
