Nobody expected the 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalist list to feature a name ranked outside the top 300. Honestly, if you’d told any tennis fan in May that a wildcard ranked No. 361 would be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek in the final eight, they’d have laughed you out of the stadium. But that is exactly what happened when Loïs Boisson decided to have the tournament of a lifetime.
Tennis is usually pretty predictable. The top seeds generally grind their way through the first week, and by the time the quarterfinals roll around, it's a "who's who" of multi-millionaires. Not this time. While the headlines eventually focused on Coco Gauff’s incredible run to the title, the real soul of the tournament lived in the bracket where Boisson kept winning matches she had no business even playing.
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Who were the 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalists?
Before we get into the "how" and "why," let’s look at the field. The 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalist group was a bizarre mix of absolute legends and total newcomers. You had the heavy hitters who everyone expected to see, but the bottom half of the draw was a graveyard for seeds.
The eight women who made it to the 2025 quarterfinals were:
- Aryna Sabalenka (1): The world number one who seemed destined for the trophy.
- Coco Gauff (2): The eventual champion who played with more grit than we've ever seen from her.
- Iga Świątek (5): Seeking her fourth straight title, though she felt a bit more "human" this year.
- Mirra Andreeva (6): The teenage sensation who is basically a veteran at this point.
- Madison Keys (7): Providing that classic American power game on the red clay.
- Zheng Qinwen (8): China's brightest star who keeps getting better every season.
- Elina Svitolina (13): The ultimate fighter who continues to defy the odds.
- Loïs Boisson (WC): The wildcard who broke every model and projection.
Basically, six of the top eight seeds made it. That sounds normal. But the presence of Svitolina and Boisson changed the entire energy of the second week. Especially Boisson. She wasn't just a 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalist; she was a semifinalist. She beat Jessica Pegula, the number 3 seed, in the fourth round. It was a demolition. Pegula looked lost, and the French crowd on Court Suzanne-Lenglen was practically vibrating with excitement.
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The Loïs Boisson Phenomenon
Let’s talk about Boisson for a second because her story is kind of insane. She entered the tournament as a wildcard. Usually, wildcards are there to give local fans something to cheer for in the first round before they get bounced by a qualifier. Boisson didn't get that memo.
She was the first Frenchwoman to reach the semifinals since Marion Bartoli in 2011. Think about that. France has been desperate for a local hero, and they found one in a player ranked No. 361. She was actually the first wildcard in the Open Era to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros. It wasn't just a lucky draw, either. She had to beat world-class athletes who have been on the tour for a decade.
Her quarterfinal match against Mirra Andreeva was a masterclass in "nothing to lose" tennis. Andreeva is a prodigy, but Boisson played with this frantic, aggressive energy that seemed to rattle the teenager. She won that match 6-6, 7-8 (using the shorthand for those tiebreak battles), effectively ending the "Andreeva era" for that season.
Why the 2025 Draw Was So Weird
The 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalist lineup was shaped by a few massive upsets that happened early. Usually, Iga Świątek is a brick wall in Paris. She had a 26-match win streak going. But the clay felt a bit faster this year, or maybe the pressure of the four-peat finally got to her.
While Iga did make the quarterfinals (beating Svitolina 6-1, 7-5), she looked vulnerable. Meanwhile, the "All-USA" quarterfinal between Coco Gauff and Madison Keys was a slugfest. Gauff eventually won that 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, but it took everything she had. It’s rare to see two Americans playing that well on clay at the same time. Usually, one of them slips up on the dirt.
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The Quarterfinal Results
If you're looking for the specific scores that defined the 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalist round, here they are:
- Sabalenka d. Zheng: 7-6, 6-3, 6-3. A power battle that Sabalenka eventually controlled.
- Świątek d. Svitolina: 6-1, 7-5. Iga looked like her old self for about 45 minutes, then struggled to close.
- Gauff d. Keys: 6-6, 6-4, 6-1. A match defined by Gauff’s improved second serve.
- Boisson d. Andreeva: 6-6, 7-8. The match that made Boisson a household name in France.
What Most People Get Wrong About 2025
Most casual observers think Coco Gauff cruised to her title. That’s just wrong. If you look at her path as a 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalist, she was constantly on the brink of elimination. She was down a set to Sabalenka in the final. She struggled against Keys.
The other misconception is that Boisson’s run was a fluke. While she hasn't maintained that top-tier level since, her performance in Paris was backed by some of the highest "expected win" stats of the season. She was hitting lines. Her backhand was clocked at speeds faster than some of the men's players. It was a "perfect storm" of form and home-court advantage.
Lessons from the 2025 Roland Garros Quarterfinals
What can we actually learn from this? Tennis is changing. The gap between the world No. 1 and the world No. 100 (or 300) is getting smaller. Technology in rackets and better sports science means anyone can be dangerous for two weeks if they get hot.
If you’re a bettor or a hardcore fan, the 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalist list is a reminder to never ignore the wildcards. Especially the French ones in Paris. The crowd influence is real. It's like a 10% buff to their stats.
Also, watch the seeds. In 2025, the seeds that relied on pure power (like Zheng and Sabalenka) eventually struggled against the elite defenders like Gauff. Defense wins championships, even on the modern, faster clay.
Next steps for fans:
- Check out the full match replay of Gauff vs. Sabalenka; the third set is a clinic in mental toughness.
- Keep an eye on Loïs Boisson’s schedule for the 2026 season to see if she can break back into the top 100.
- Look at the "Race to Riyadh" standings, as the 2025 French Open women's quarterfinalist points heavily weighted the end-of-year rankings.