The spotlight shifts to Court Philippe-Chatrier as WTA No. 6 Mirra Andreeva gears up for her second Roland Garros quarterfinal. This time, the 18-year-old Russian takes on a name few expected at this stage. She is a French wildcard, Lois Boisson. Andreeva, who has already made waves in 2025 with two WTA 1000 titles, is eyeing her first GS breakthrough.
But Boisson, ranked No. 361, has authored one of the most unlikely stories of the tournament, shocking world No. 3 Jessica Pegula en route to the last eight. With one chasing history and the other living a dream, this matchup could become a defining chapter in both their careers.
Andreeva began her season with a promise at the Brisbane International, reaching the semi-finals after defeating Linda Noskova and Ons Jabeur. Her run ended with a straight-sets loss to Aryna Sabalenka by 6-3, 6-2. At the 2025 Australian Open, Sabalenka once again proved a roadblock, beating Andreeva in the fourth round by 6-1, 6-2.
Though her 2025 Qatar Open campaign ended in the R32, Andreeva bounced back with consecutive triumphs at the Dubai Tennis Championships and Indian Wells, marking her arrival as a top-tier performer.
Her momentum dipped slightly in Miami, where Amanda Anisimova overpowered her in three sets by 7-6(5), 2-6, and 6-3. A R16 exit followed in Stuttgart, courtesy of Ekaterina Alexandrova by 6-3 and 6-2. On the clay surface, the Russian WTA star began rebuilding her rhythm. In Madrid, she reached the quarterfinals before falling to Coco Gauff by 7-5 and 6-1.
A near-identical fate awaited her at the Italian Open, where Gauff again defeated her by 6-4 and 7-6(5). Now with a stellar 31-7 overall record this season, Andreeva arrives in Paris with great form, determined focus, and a fierce desire to go beyond her 2024 semi-final result.
Andreeva’s French opponent at the quarterfinals, Boisson, may be an unfamiliar name on the WTA tour, but her 2025 Roland Garros run has changed that overnight. The 22-year-old WTA star began the year quietly at the Open de Rouen, where she lost in 3 sets to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima by 6-1, 6-7(4), and 4-6. A first-round exit followed in Saint-Malo’s WTA 125K, but what came next no one saw coming. With a Wildcard in her hand, Boisson defeated Jessica Pegula and reached the Slam’s quarterfinals.
Lois Boisson, ranked world No. 361, has scripted the most astonishing run of Roland Garros 2025. Handed a wildcard into the main draw of her home Slam, Boisson stunned Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to enter the quarterfinals. With this achievement, she became the lowest-ranked woman to reach this stage at any major since Kaia Kanepi in 2017 (ranked 418).
She is also the first Slam quarterfinal debutante from France since Carla Suárez Navarro’s breakout in 2008. Even more remarkably, this is Boisson’s first-ever GS main draw appearance, coming just nine months after ACL and meniscus surgery. The former Saint-Malo WTA 125 champion is now flying the French flag with a $500,000 payday and ruling the headlines.
Last year, Andreeva surprised the fraternity by defeating Aryna Sabalenka and reaching the semifinals of the French Open. Now a more seasoned and mentally grounded player, she has proven her clay credentials once again by defeating Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round by 6-3 and 7-5. She credits her growth to a determined mindset and a stronger physical foundation.
With improvements to her serve and an indomitable spirit, the 18-year-old has all the tools of a future Slam champion. As she faces Boisson, Andreeva will need to draw on every ounce of her big-match experience.
Whether she walks through it or Boisson extends her Cinderella run will be one of Roland Garros 2025’s most compelling subplots. What do you think?
