A revelation at Roland-Garros, Loïs Boisson started playing tennis at Beaulieu: his coach remembers his "enormous potential"

French tennis was waiting for a continuation of the epics of Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia, both eliminated at the last four at Roland-Garros in 2017. Loïs Boisson, ranked 361st in the world before the start of the Porte d'Auteuil tournament, managed to achieve this small feat.

A player at the Tennis Club Nice Giordan, the Dijon native burst onto the public stage at this Roland-Garros 2025. Starting in the second round and on a series of four consecutive victories, Loïs Boisson became only the second woman with a Wild Card to qualify for the quarter-finals of the French Open , after Mary Pierce in 2002, when she fell to 130th place in the world.

She is already guaranteed to receive 440,000 euros in prize money, three times more in one week than since the beginning of her career (129,000 euros).

"She believed in herself more than anyone."

Far from the ochre earth of the Parisian circuit, the tennis attraction of the moment hit some of his first balls at the Tennis Club of Beaulieu-sur-Mer , under the orders of Stéphane Gloaguen for 5 years. A man of renown in the field, since he also greatly participated in the development of Alizé Cornet, between the ages of 11 and 20, as well as that of Justine Hénin (7 Grand Slam trophies including 4 Roland-Garros).

Loïs Boisson was 11 years old when she arrived in Beaulieu, at the same time as her father Yann, a former professional basketball player who played for ASVEL, Saint-Etienne, and Dijon, became the administrative director of AS Monaco Basket. Loïs's brother also played for the Roca Team, while her sister was already making an impression on the tennis courts of the Côte d'Azur. " From the first day, I saw that she had enormous potential ," says Stéphane Gloaguen, current sports coordinator of the Piatti Tennis Center in Bordighera, Italy.

"She has always been endowed with great physical, technical and mental qualities. But what many saw as flaws, I saw as qualities, without boasting. When she was little, she had a little trouble channeling herself. She expected a lot from herself, with very little tolerance for herself. In the end, we see that this mentality has worked for her. She is still young (22 years old) and yet, she managed to reach a very high level quickly. Her greatest quality was believing in herself more than anyone else. She was less afraid than anyone else to persevere on her path ."

His preparation for Roland-Garros was carried out in Nice

Loïs Boisson spent five years at TC Beaulieu, between 2014 and 2019, then moved to the Piatti Tennis Center at the age of 16, still with Stéphane Gloaguen, for a year. After a stint between several academies, it was finally in 2021 that the right-handed, two-handed backhand player made her WTA Tour debut at the tournament in Lyon, the city where the adopted Côte d'Azur native trains, alternating with Nice, and where she meets her staff. So, running into her on the Riviera is far from heresy.

Licensed from TC Nice Giordan since 2023 , the quarter-finalist returns there regularly for club competitions, training and appointments with some of her sports doctors. It was also in Baie des Anges that Loïs Boisson prepared for her first Grand Slam, after an initial failure in the second round of qualifying for Roland-Garros in 2021. She was able to take advantage of the outdoor courts in Nice (unlike those in Lyon, which are covered) and exchange with Léolia Jeanjean (139th). A southern air that visibly inspired the 361st in the world. " Frankly, I'm not surprised by her admirable performance. Having had her all these years, we knew the road was going to be perilous, but I was convinced that she would get there. She too, even if I know that she expects even more, I know her ." Something that the main player confirmed on France Télévisions after her round of 16 match. " I'm very happy, I'm not going to say otherwise. But I want to win Roland-Garros. It's always been a dream, ever since I was little ."

Here too, Stéphane Gloaguen corroborates. " She always wanted to play with the best and become a professional. Introverted, but so full of willpower and qualities. She used her character, which was never a limitation in itself, to become more mature ."

"She was going on vacation with us."

Facing Mirra Andreeva (world number 6) in the quarterfinals this Tuesday, Loïs Boisson has not yet received direct support from her former coach, nor from her father, in this fabulous adventure. For good reason.

" Out of superstition, I haven't watched any matches since the tournament began. I saw her on Sunday on the website, otherwise, I send her messages, but I leave her in her tournament. Even if she goes to the final, it will be like that! Her father is the same (laughs)." A father who is none other than the cousin of Stéphane Gloaguen's wife. " She was going on vacation with us! My son was born a day apart from her, they stayed in touch ," in short, part of the family.

In Paris, it is indeed a woman from the Côte d'Azur who is writing history.