2025 WTA French Open: Loïs Boisson vs. Coco Gauff, Have We Ever Seen Anything Like This?
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
WTA Roland Garros: Loïs Boisson, 14 Years After Marion Bartoli
How far can Loïs Boisson go at Roland Garros? Set to face the world No. 2 in a semifinal where the Frenchwoman could cause real problems for her opponent (see our Loïs Boisson vs. Coco Gauff prediction), France’s rising star hopes to captivate the Paris crowd once again, just as she has throughout the tournament.
After defeating another American, world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the round of 16 and No. 6 Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, Boisson has earned her place in the final four at the French Open. She becomes the first Frenchwoman to reach this stage since Marion Bartoli in 2011. It’s a major breakthrough for a player making her Grand Slam debut. She joins a very exclusive group of women who reached the semifinals in their first major appearance, alongside Monica Seles (Roland Garros 1989) and Jennifer Capriati (Roland Garros 1990).
Can Loïs Boisson now pull off another huge upset and eliminate a third top-10 player? We’ll start getting answers in just a few minutes.
Loïs Boisson: Just the Second Woman Ever to Reach the Roland Garros Semifinals with a Wildcard
No one could have predicted a Frenchwoman reaching the semifinals at the 2025 French Open. Heading into this second Grand Slam of the season, only one French player was ranked inside the WTA top 100. Even more unlikely was seeing a wildcard entry go this far.
Yet that’s exactly what Loïs Boisson has done in this 2025 edition of the French Open. Ranked No. 361 in the world when the tournament began and with just one career WTA win, picked up in Rouen this past April, Boisson never expected to make a run like this in her Grand Slam debut.
To find anything similar, you have to go back to 1978, when Brigitte Simon reached the French Open semifinals as a wildcard. The player from Normandy was stopped at that stage, a fate Boisson will be hoping to avoid this Thursday on the legendary Court Philippe Chatrier.
Following in the Footsteps of Mary Pierce, the Last Frenchwoman in a Roland Garros Final
This Thursday on the court Philippe Chatrier, Loïs Boisson will take the court for the semifinal at Roland Garros. The French hopeful is clear about her goals and has her eyes set on lifting the trophy Saturday. To get there, she’ll need to overcome world No. 2 Coco Gauff and reach the final, which will be played this weekend in the heart of Paris.
To find the last time a Frenchwoman played in the final at the French Open, you have to go back 20 years. In 2005, Mary Pierce made it all the way to the championship match, where she faced Justine Henin. Two decades later, Loïs Boisson knows exactly what’s at stake as she tries to follow in her compatriot’s footsteps.
Coco Gauff: Up to the Challenge on Clay
As Boisson continues her unbelievable run she now comes up against the current number 1 US tennis ace: Coco Gauff. Guaff has had an incredible clay season this year, reaching back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome, almost unheard of for an American player today. Historically strong on hard court, Americans have struggled on clay in recent years, except Gauff.
Gauff edged out compatriot Madison Keys in a three-set thriller after barely losing the first set in a tie-break. In typical Coco fashion, she took her intensity up a notch to cruise past Keys in the second and third sets. Despite committing 10 double faults, Guaff proved she was the stronger player at the moment and will be a real test for Boisson, who has a similar style. Both women are coming into the match with little rest, so we will have to see who has the best recovery method as the semifinals of thte 2025 French Open kick off.
