Lois Boisson’s Unlikely Upset Sends Shockwaves Through Roland Garros
Few in the crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier expected Lois Boisson, a 22-year-old French wildcard sitting at No. 361 in the world rankings, to take down the imposing third seed Jessica Pegula. When Boisson lost the first set 3-6, it looked like the match would go by the usual script. But that’s when tennis reminded everyone why it has a flair for the unpredictable. Boisson, a relative newcomer to the big stage and barely a year removed from a major knee injury, charged back to win the next two sets 6-4, 6-4, sending Pegula packing in the French Open fourth round.
Feeling the rush of the moment, Boisson couldn’t hide her joy after that final point. The roar from the Parisian fans felt like a tidal wave—a sound that rarely greets players ranked outside the world’s top 300. The chants of “Lois! Lois!” echoed off the arena’s walls, matching the electricity in the air. Reflecting on her win, Boisson said, “Playing on this court with such an atmosphere was really incredible.” She wasn’t exaggerating. In a packed draw loaded with stars and household names, no one will soon forget the afternoon the unknown local overcame the odds.
A Story Made for Roland Garros
If you scratched the surface of Boisson’s journey here, you’d find more grit than luck. Just last year, she was nowhere near Roland Garros—not by ranking, not by wild hope. A torn ACL in her left knee kept her out of the 2024 French Open entirely, leaving her out of the conversation when it came to homegrown talent to watch. Few longshots ever get this chance, and even fewer cash in with such style.
On Monday, every aspect of Boisson’s game showed improvement since her long rehab. Her serve carried an extra edge, her movement showed confidence, and her composure held up as Pegula tried to claw back. The American, known for her rock-solid baseline play, looked rattled as the errors piled up in the second and third sets. Any nerves on Boisson’s side melted away as each game passed, and the crowd sensed they might witness rare French Open history.
This wasn’t just a blip for Boisson, who now stares down a daunting quarterfinal against Mirra Andreeva, the No. 6 seed and one of the tour’s fastest rising players. Suddenly, Boisson carries the hopes of an entire nation as the only French singles player left standing—someone bringing the spark that’s been missing from home-crowd performances.
Not to be lost in the shuffle, the day featured more top-flight tennis. No. 2 seed Coco Gauff and No. 7 seed Madison Keys made lighter work of their opponents, both notching straight-set wins to set up an American showdown in the next round. Still, all the buzz centered on Boisson, who turned what looked like a routine Monday into something joyous, chaotic, and totally unforgettable for French tennis fans.
Is this the start of the next big French tennis story? That will be answered soon enough. But as of now, everyone at Roland Garros knows the name Lois Boisson—and they’ll be watching for her next move.