Tennis: Aix Maurienne, Lightning Ascension, Rafael Nadal, Injuries… Five Things to Know about Loïs Boisson

She comes from a family of basketball players

It’s safe to say that Loïs Boisson has sports in her blood. But before choosing the little yellow ball at seven, her childhood was mostly influenced by the orange ball.

Her father Yann, originally from the Croix-Rousse area in Lyon, had a successful professional basketball career in the late 80s, from Asvel to Tours, Saint-Étienne, and Dijon. He then became a manager, general manager of Jeanne d’Arc Dijon from 1995 to 2008, and then administrative director of AS Monaco from 2014 to 2020.

Her brother Anton also passed through the Roca Team’s Espoirs and Aix Maurienne, a Pro B team based in Savoie.

She has set a number of records in Grand Slam events

Loïs Boisson made a name for herself in the sports world, especially at the 2025 edition of Roland-Garros. Invited by the organizers after a series of good results in the spring, the young Frenchwoman surprised everyone by eliminating top players like Elise Mertens, Anhelina Kalinina, Elsa Jacquemot, Jessica Pegula, and Mirra Andreeva.

Although her winning streak ended against Coco Gauff on the verge of the final, the Dijon native set some records during the tournament. Starting as the 361st worldwide, she became the least ranked semifinalist in a Grand Slam in at least 40 years.

Boisson confirmed her rapid rise by winning her first WTA title a month and a half later in Hamburg.

She is a big fan of Rafael Nadal

“I only have one idol, Rafael Nadal,” said Loïs Boisson in an interview with Paris Match, a few days after her remarkable journey to the semifinals of Roland-Garros.

She grew up admiring Nadal’s achievements on clay courts and developed a special fondness for the surface, which she practiced on during her youth on the Côte d’Azur and in various tennis academies.

She has made headlines, albeit unwittingly

Before her success at Roland-Garros, Loïs Boisson had already attracted attention. Her first victory on the main circuit at the WTA 250 tournament in Rouen on April 16, 2025, sparked numerous comments for less favorable reasons.

She faced criticism from her opponent Harriet Dart for an unpleasant odor issue, which was later addressed and apologized for publicly.

She is prone to injuries

Loïs Boisson’s progress has been hindered by numerous injuries, such as a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee two weeks before the 2024 Roland-Garros. During her recovery, she got the word “resilience” tattooed on her right arm.

Unfortunately, she faced another setback with a wrist tendonitis syndrome that kept her out of the end of the season and the beginning of the 2026 season.