If you were scrolling through sports news in May 2025, you probably saw a name that seemed to come out of nowhere: Lois Boisson. Ranked a lowly No. 361 at the time, she didn't just participate in the French Open—she lit the whole thing on fire.
She's the girl from Dijon who became the first wildcard in the Open Era to reach the Roland Garros semifinals on her main-draw debut. Think about that for a second. While most players are just happy to not trip over the baseline in their first Grand Slam, Boisson was out there dismantling Top 10 stars like Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva.
It was a fairytale. Pure cinema. But the thing about fairytales is that they usually skip over the parts where the protagonist is crying in a hospital bed or struggling to find a sponsor because their ranking is too low to matter.
The Brutal Reality of the Lois Boisson Injury History
Most fans think her rise was overnight. It wasn't. Honestly, it was a comeback from a literal nightmare. In 2024, Boisson was finally clicking. She had just won the WTA 125 title in Saint-Malo and cracked the Top 200. She was supposed to make her Grand Slam debut that year.
Then, disaster.
One week before the French Open, while playing at the Trophée Clarins in Paris, her left knee gave out. A torn ACL. Just like that, the dream was on ice. She spent the rest of 2024 watching the tour from the sidelines, her ranking plummeting while she relearned how to walk, let alone slide on clay.
When she stepped onto Court Philippe-Chatrier in 2025, she wasn't just playing for points. She was playing because, a year prior, she wasn't sure if her body would ever let her do this again. That kind of perspective changes a player. It makes them dangerous.
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Why 2025 Wasn't a Fluke
Critics love to call deep Slam runs by wildcards "flukes." They'll point to Emma Raducanu's post-US Open struggles as a template. But Boisson’s game has some serious teeth that suggest she’s built for the long haul.
The Stats that Actually Matter:
- First Serve Dominance: She wins nearly 70% of her first-serve points, which is high for the women’s tour.
- Service Games: She holds serve about 74% of the time, keeping her in matches even when her return game is shaky.
- The "Clutch" Factor: During her French Open run, she saved 58% of the break points she faced. She doesn't blink when the pressure is on.
After Paris, she proved she could win outside of the Grand Slam spotlight by taking home her maiden WTA title at the Hamburg Open in July 2025. She beat Anna Bondár in the final, proving that the red clay is her absolute kingdom. By November, she hit a career-high ranking of No. 36 and became the French No. 1.
The Current Roadblock: 2026 Australian Open Withdrawal
Tennis is a cruel sport. Just as Boisson was settling into her role as the new face of French tennis, her body started protesting again.
As of January 2026, the news isn't great for the immediate future. Boisson has officially withdrawn from the 2026 Australian Open. It’s a gut-punch for fans who wanted to see her translate that clay-court magic to the hard courts of Melbourne.
What's the issue? A lingering left quadriceps tear and some fresh pain in her hand.
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She hasn't played a competitive match since late September 2025, when she had to retire during the China Open. Ivan Ljubicic, who heads up high performance for the French Tennis Federation, has confirmed they’re being extra cautious.
"I know that rushing can harm my body and my health in the long term," Boisson told her followers on Instagram. Smart. But frustrating.
The Carlos Martínez Factor
Despite the injury setbacks, there’s a massive reason to be optimistic about her 2026 season. In December 2025, she officially brought on Carlos Martínez Comet as her coach.
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the guy who helped mold Daria Kasatkina into a Top 10 mainstay. He knows how to take a player with great variety—like Boisson’s heavy topspin forehand and those cheeky drop shots—and turn them into a tactical nightmare for opponents.
What to Expect Next from Lois Boisson
So, what happens now?
Basically, the tennis world is waiting for her "Phase 2." She’s already proven she has the ceiling of a Top 10 player. Now she has to prove she has the durability of one.
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Her game is heavily slanted toward clay. That’s her comfort zone. Her win rate on the dirt is nearly 80%, while her hard-court stats hover around 40-50%. To stay in the Top 40, she’s going to have to find a way to flatten out that backhand and win cheap points on quicker surfaces.
What you should watch for in 2026:
- The Clay Swing: If she’s healthy by April, expect her to go on a tear in the European clay events (Madrid, Rome).
- Ranking Protection: Since she has a mountain of points to defend from her 2025 French Open semifinal, her ranking will take a massive hit if she isn't 100% by May.
- Hard Court Evolution: Look at her results in the late summer. If Martínez can improve her movement on hard courts, she becomes a threat at the US Open.
Lois Boisson isn't a "one-hit wonder." She’s a survivor. She’s already beaten the odds once with an ACL recovery that most people thought would end her career before it started. A quad strain isn't going to stop her; it’s just a delay.
If you want to follow her progress, keep a close eye on the WTA entry lists for the Sunshine Double in March (Indian Wells and Miami). If she appears there, it means the recovery is on track. If not, the French Open will be her "do or die" moment for the season.
Actionable Insights for Tennis Fans:
- Track her ranking: Use the WTA live rankings to see how her Australian Open absence affects her seeding for the spring.
- Watch her highlights: Look specifically at her 2025 match against Jessica Pegula to see how she uses height and depth to neutralize power hitters.
- Follow her recovery: Her Instagram is the most direct source for training updates, as she’s been very transparent about her rehab process.