We are now into the semifinals of the 2025 French Open. All tennis fans have heard of semifinalists Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Musetti and Carlos Alcaraz. The fact that these seven semifinalists will play over the next two days is zero surprise. However, there is one semifinalist no one, and I mean no one saw coming. Her name is Lois Boisson of Dijon, France, who is ranked 361st in the world. The French commune which has a population of 150,000 is best known throughout the world for its mustard, and now a 22-year-old phenom who has become the biggest story of the second tennis major of the season.
One must now ask, who is Lois Boisson and how did she get here?
Boisson has predominantly been an ITF player throughout her career. The ITF (short for the International Tennis Federation) has events one step lower than the WTA. According to tennisexplorer.com, she had only played in three WTA events this season. Boisson beat Harriet Dart of Great Britain 6-0, 6-3 in the first round of Rouen in April before losing her second round match to Moyuka Uchijima of Japan, 1-6, 7-6, 6-4. Boisson then lost to fellow Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round of Saint-Malo.
One must sincerely ask how did a player ranked 361st in the world even get to the French Open? The answer is simple. Eight spots in the women’s draw were filled by wildcard players. Boisson was joined by fellow Frenchwomen Chloe Paquet of Versailles, Diane Parry of Nice, Elsa Jacquemot of Lyon, Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah of Toulouse and Jeanjean. Meanwhile, the other two wildcard players were Destanee Aiava of Australia, and Iva Jovic of the United States.
Who did Boisson beat to reach the semifinals?
Boisson stunned the 24th seed and 2018 Australian Open semifinalist Elise Mertens of Belgium, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the first round. That was followed by a 6-1, 6-2 win over Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine in the second round, and a 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 win over Jacquemot in the third round. Then Boisson delivered two of the biggest back-to-back upsets you will ever see in women’s tennis. In the fourth round, Boisson shocked world number three and 2024 United States Open finalist Jessica Pegula of the United States, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Then in the quarterfinals, Boisson beat 2024 French Open semifinalist and world number six Mirra Andreeva of Russia, 7-6, 6-3.
