Lois Boisson, a 22-year-old wild card ranked No. 361 in the world, pulled off a major upset at Roland Garros on Monday by defeating No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round. The match lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes and thrilled the home crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Boisson came from behind to claim victory, showing impressive composure in only her second appearance at a tour-level event. This tournament also marks her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
“If you had told me this two weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Boisson said after the match. “I trust myself, but still, I couldn’t imagine this. Now it’s real, and I’m so happy.”
Her win is historic. Boisson is the first Frenchwoman to reach the Roland Garros quarterfinals since 2017, when Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic both made it to the last eight.
She is also the lowest-ranked woman to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since Kaia Kanepi, ranked No. 418, at the 2017 US Open. Additionally, Boisson is the first player to make the quarterfinals in her Grand Slam main-draw debut since Carla Suarez Navarro achieved the feat as a qualifier at Roland Garros in 2008.
Boisson described the match point moment as overwhelming. “I felt very tense, and when I saw my forehand go in for a winner, all the pressure disappeared,” she told French media. “I was just so happy to win and to reach the quarterfinals.”
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