Lois Boisson has pulled off a huge upset in the women’s draw at the French Open after beating third seed Jessica Pegula in the fourth round.
The world No.361 wild card showed sheer grit and determination throughout her shock 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, victory. By doing so she has become the first Frenchwoman to reach the last eight at Roland Garros since 2017. She is the lowest-ranked player to reach the last eight of any Grand Slam since Kaia Kanepi at the 2017 French Open.
Boission fed off the home support during what was a roller-coaster encounter, particularly in the deciding set which saw numerous momentum changes. Trading breaks early on in the final set, the underdog broke Pegula during a lengthy 6-deuce game for a chance to serve the match out. Impressively, in the next game, she fended off four break points before sealing a milestone victory.
“I’m not quite sure what to say. Playing on this court, with this kind of atmosphere was amazing, so thank you to all of you,” Boission said on court.
“Maybe I thought there was a possibility (of winning) before the match but I knew she was very strong. But I managed to win, which was incredible.
“I hope I’m going to win it all!”
The stunning performance comes after she suffered heartbreak in the sport. Just over a year ago, Boission was ranked inside the top 200 and was about to receive a wild card into the 2024 tournament before suffering a serious knee injury. She ended up having to be sidelined from the sport for nine months before returning to action in February.
Boission made her WTA debut less than two months ago at the Rouen Open, where she lost in the second round. Since then, she played on the lower-level ITF circuit where she won a W75 tournament in Saint-Gaudens, France.
She will play Mirra Andreeva in the last eight.
