It has been a quarter of a century since France has been able to celebrate a home French Open champion on either the men’s or women’s side of the singles. This year, though, an unlikely candidate has emerged to emulate the exploits of Mary Pierce in 2000.
Lois Boisson was a virtual unknown before this year’s Roland Garros. She had no grand slam record having never before featured in the main draw of a major.
But she now stands just two more wins on the red dirt in south-west Paris away from etching her name in the history books after knocking out a seeded player for the third time in the tournament.
Indeed, after Boisson’s straight-sets win over Mirra Andreeva, French fans can really start to believe that the most improbable winner might finally end their long wait. However, the brightest star in American tennis, one who made her name in much similar fashion, stands in Boisson’s way.
Who is Lois Boisson?
Fewer people are asking that question following her remarkable run to the last four at Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old from Dijon made her WTA Tour debut in 2021 but, until her main draw bow in Paris, had found a breakthrough difficult to come by.
She has eight titles on the ITF circuit and one on the WTA’s Challenger circuit, which came in May last year, when she progressed to a career-high ranking of 152nd in the world.
Boisson entered the French Open as a wild card ranked a lowly 361st in the world, though she received some unwelcome exposure due to a controversy in a match at the Rouen Open in April when opponent Harriet Dart asked the umpire if Boisson “could put on deodorant because she’s smelling really bad”.
It was an unedifying episode for which Dart later apologised, but it couldn’t be further from the mind of Boisson now, with the Frenchwoman set to catapult up to 65th in the world even if her run comes to an end in the semi-finals.
Lois Boisson: First French player to reach a Roland-Garros women's singles semi-final since Marion Bartoli in 2011.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/xdx7i1cRTh
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025
How has she made it this far?
In large part through showing remarkable resilience and endurance against some of the best players in the game.
Boisson’s 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 win over Andreeva, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros last year, was just her second straight-sets win over the tournament.
But it was anything but straightforward. Boisson twice faced set point in the opening set, and then trailed 3-0 in the second. However, she produced a superb response to reel off six successive games and knock out the Russian teenager.
WHAT IT MEANS! 🇫🇷
Loïs Boisson, local hero, making history at home! 💪
🔜 Into the #RolandGarros semifinals 🆚 Gauff! pic.twitter.com/ZC7LWNh0gF
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025
All but one of Boisson’s matches have lasted more than two hours, her stamina tested in a first-round three-setter with Elise Mertens and again in a third-round match with compatriot Elsa Jacquemot, which saw her recover from losing the second set 6-0.
Wednesday’s win over sixth seed Andreeva was preceded by a defeat of third seed Jessica Pegula, which lasted two hours and 42 minutes. At this point, there is no doubting the strength of Boisson’s resolve, and she will need all of it in order to ensure a tournament that will live long in the memory of French tennis fans ends in the final.
Who is next for Boisson?
The challenges only get tougher for the French Open’s surprise package, as Boisson takes on defending champion Coco Gauff for a place in the final.
Second seed Gauff came from a set down to see off compatriot Madison Keys in the quarter-finals, with the opening set of that contest the only one she has lost all tournament.
Like Boisson, Gauff burst onto the scene from nowhere in her main-draw debut at a grand slam, though she did so at the much younger age of 15, reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2019 before progressing to the third round of the US Open that same year.
Paris 🫶 Coco
Relive the highlights from the No.2 seed's three-set win against countrywoman Madison Keys. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ua9XwJ5B95
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025
Gauff delivered on the promise she had long since shown by winning her first major at Flushing Meadows in 2023, a triumph followed up with success at Roland Garros last year.
Now at home on all three surfaces, Gauff is a considerable obstacle for any player to overcome, not least somebody of Boisson’s inexperience at this level.
But Boisson has nothing to lose and nothing to fear, and, with the home crowd behind her, a shock that sees her achieve what last month would have been deemed unthinkable cannot be ruled out.
