Roland-Garros: the crazy figures of Loïs Boisson, the French sensation
Ranked 361st in the world before the start of the Paris Grand Slam, Loïs Boisson, facing American Coco Gauff, world number 2, puts in an incredible performance. The numbers prove it.
Before this Roland-Garros, Loïs Boisson had won only one match on the main tour. It was in Rouen in mid-April, against Britain's Harriet Dart, ranked 110th in the world. She is the first player with such inexperience on the tour to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam since Sweden's Elisabeth Ekblom at the 1976 Australian Open.
Lois Boisson is the first player to reach the semifinals of Roland Garros in the Open era. She has done even better than Mary Pierce, who reached the quarterfinals in 2002 as a wild card.
Loïs Boisson is only the second player to beat two members of the WTA top 10 in her first Grand Slam appearance. Only 15-year-old Monica Seles had achieved this feat at Roland Garros in 1989, defeating Zina Garrison and Manuela Maleeva before losing to Steffi Graff in the semi-finals.
Loïs Boisson is only the fifth French player to reach the semi-finals of Roland-Garros in the Open era, after Françoise Dürr, Brigitte Simon, Mary Pierce and Marion Bartoli.
It's been fourteen years since a French woman reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros. In 2011, Marion Bartoli lost to Francesca Shiavone. In the men's competition, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also lost in the semi-finals in 2015.
At 22, the Dijon native is the third youngest Frenchwoman in history in the Porte d'Auteuil semi-finals after Mary Pierce (in 1994) and Brigitte Simon (in 1978).
In 1990, already at Roland-Garros, 35 years ago, the American Jennifer Capriati, then aged 14, reached the semi-finals in her first participation in a Grand Slam tournament.
Loïs Boisson's virtual ranking after reaching the last four. She will become the new French No. 1 next Monday.
After her quarter-final victory against Andreeva , the world's 361st player is guaranteed a colossal leap in the WTA rankings. She will thus be at least 68th, in case her adventure ends Thursday afternoon against Coco Gauff. That's 293 places gained in less than two weeks. In the event of a final, she could rise to 35th place, and even 21st if she lifts the cup on Saturday.
The number of places separating Boisson (361st) and Gauff (2nd), who face each other this Thursday .
Also read: The unexpected Loïs Boisson lives her dream Roland-Garros without restraint
Loïs Boisson is the lowest-ranked player to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam. Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, who were unranked at the time of their respective titles at the 2009 US Open and 2010 Australian Open, had previously been world number one.
Loïs Boisson's ranking, a month ago. Winner of the ITF W75 in Saint-Gaudens, she had fallen to 361st place. Thanks to her dream run at Porte d'Auteuil, she's guaranteed to reach at least 65th place. Dizzying.
In euros, the amount Boisson will pocket if she loses in the semi-finals. Since the start of her professional career, she has received... €129,000. She will therefore receive at least five times her current prize money!
lefigaro
