Boisson 'really disappointed' as fairytale French Open run ends
The 361st-ranked Boisson had defied the odds to become the first wildcard in French Open history to reach the semi-finals, but her improbable title bid ended in a 6-1, 6-2 loss to second seed Gauff.
"I'm really disappointed today because I wanted to go further than this semi-final," said Boisson, who captivated the French public on her Grand Slam debut and ignited hopes of a first major champion since Marion Bartoli won Wimbledon in 2013.
"I'm just going to take the time to digest this and then we'll see afterwards. But, no, it will probably not take very long (to get over it)."
Boisson was the lowest ranked player to reach a Grand Slam semi-final in the last 40 years. She was also the first wildcard to make this stage in Paris.
Ultimately, the step up in class against Gauff proved too much.
"She played really, really good. She was just too good for me today, and that's it," said Boisson.
"I just feel like I was running everywhere on the court today, so it was really tough. She was really solid, and I couldn't play my game today because she was just too good."
Despite losing heavily to Gauff it was an incredible fortnight for Boisson, who had just one tour-level win to her name before the start of the tournament.
"This week was very positive for me," said Boisson, who beat top-10 players Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively.
"It's just that today it was quite simply too tough for me. I couldn't manage to get my game going, but apart from today's match... the tournament as a whole was very positive.
"Even today, there are a few positives even if there aren't many."
Boisson was the third player to reach the semi-finals in her Grand Slam main-draw debut since 1980, following Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati who also did it at Roland Garros in 1989 and 1990.
Reaching the semi-finals in Paris will see her take home 690,000 euros (789,536) -- more than quadrupling her career earnings of $148,009.
Boisson will also climb to a career high of 65th after a breakout performance, a year on from a serious knee injury that forced her out of the 2024 French Open and left her doubting her future in the sport.
She missed nine months after rupturing anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, in which time her ranking nosedived from its previous high of 152nd.
"We know that particular injury is very complicated, but at the beginning, yes, I kind of lost faith because I didn't know what was to come next, and I didn't know that things could go so well," reflected Boisson.
"I was really worried at one point, but you know, as the rehabilitation progressed, I realised that things are getting better. In the end, what's happening today is great."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Reigning French Open champion Alcaraz through to final after Musetti retires with injury
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached back-to-back French Open finals after Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired with injury while trailing 4-6 7-6(3) 6-0 2-0 on Friday. 'It's never great to go through or win a match when it's like this,' said the 22-year-old, who has never lost a Grand Slam final. 'He's done an incredible clay season. I wish him all the best, a quick recovery and that he'll be back soon.' Alcaraz, who is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, will face either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final. Musetti twice denied Alcaraz the chance to break in the opening nine games before the 23-year-old suddenly dialled up the intensity and snatched the opening set when his Spanish opponent produced errors in a poor service game. A frustrated Alcaraz kicked his bench during the second set but finally found a way through Musetti's dogged defence to draw level after a tiebreak and then produced a dazzling display of power and precision to dish out a bagel in the third set. Musetti, who appeared to be hampered by a left thigh issue midway through the third set, threw in the towel after two games in the fourth.
LeMonde
an hour ago
- LeMonde
French Open: Carlos Alcaraz advances to final after Lorenzo Musetti retires injured
Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the French Open final as Lorenzo Musetti retired injured from their last-four tie on Friday, June 6, ahead of world number one Jannik Sinner's clash with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. World number two Alcaraz was leading 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 in the fourth set under the Court Philippe Chatrier roof when Italian Musetti called it quits due to an apparent thigh injury. "It's never great to go through or win a match when it's like this," said the 22-year-old, who has never lost a Grand Slam final. "He's done an incredible clay season. I wish him all the best, a quick recovery and that he'll be back soon." Alcaraz will aim to win his fifth Grand Slam title against either Sinner or Djokovic, who meet in the second semi-final on Sunday. He beat Sinner in five sets in last year's semi-finals, but has lost both of his meetings with Djokovic at Roland Garros – in the 2023 semis and last year's Paris Olympics final. "It's been three intense weeks and now I have one step to make," he said. "I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament." Musetti saved break points in the first and seventh games before grabbing a one-set lead with a break in the 10 th game. The duo traded breaks early in the second set, before Alcaraz secured a chance to serve it out and level the match. Instead, he was broken to 15 as Musetti produced some inspired shot-making to force a tie-break. The Spaniard raced through the breaker, though, taking his third set point when Musetti fired an attempted passing shot into the net. Alcaraz continued that momentum into the third, striking quickly to open up a 2-0 lead. Musetti could not deal with the power coming from the other side of the net and briefly received treatment on his left thigh. Alcaraz went on to romp through the set, in which eighth seed Musetti mustered only five points, in just 22 minutes. Musetti surrendered another break early in the fourth set as Alcaraz thumped a forehand return into the corner, and the 23-year-old immediately headed to the net to shake his opponent's hand.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Reigning champion Alcaraz into French Open final as Musetti retires
The Spaniard led 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 after two hours and 25 minutes of play under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier when Musetti quit with a thigh issue. Second seed Alcaraz will defend his crown on Sunday against either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who meet later on Friday. "It's been three intense weeks and now I have one step to make," he said. "I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament." He now leads 23-year-old Musetti 6-1 in their head-to-head series, winning all three of their clay-court battles this season after victories in the final at Monte Carlo and semi-finals of the Italian Open. The 22-year-old is now into his second French Open showpiece match, and fifth major final overall. Just as in the Monte Carlo final in April, it was the Tuscan who clinched the first set in the latest edition of the budding Alcaraz-Musetti rivalry. Both players battled through an even opener that offered up occasional sparks of brilliance, but every time a sniff of a break opportunity appeared the server upped his game to nullify it. Musetti eventually pounced at 5-4, drawing first blood in Alcaraz's fifth service game by concluding a brutal baseline rally with a hammered crosscourt forehand winner. He then secured three set points when Alcaraz dragged a shot long, before the Spaniard dumped a forehand into the tramlines to give Musetti the lead. The Italian began the second set with a trademark sweeping backhand down the line on the very first point as his confidence grew. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz roared back to break Musetti to love in the third game, sealing it with a perfectly-weighted backhand drop-shot. However, Musetti immediately riposted to level the set at 2-2. Alcaraz produced two break points five games later but Musetti held his nerve to wipe both out before celebrating the crucial hold with a double fist pump towards his box. The Monte Carlo and Rome champion did manage to get the break he needed on Musetti's next service game, but again the world number seven frustrated him by immediately hitting back to force a tie-break. Thigh problem But Alcaraz was not to be denied as he raced into a 3-0 lead, before a kindly net cord helped a drop-shot on its way to take him to 5-1, and Musetti then netted a forehand on the run to give the Spaniard the set at the third time of asking. Now firmly in the ascendancy, Alcaraz pressed his advantage by dominating his opponent's first two service games of the third set. Musetti received a massage on his left thigh during the change-over while trailing 0-5, before Alcaraz again broke him to take the set in 22 minutes for the loss of just five points. Musetti then signalled that he was unable to continue after the second game of the fourth set, shaking his opponent's hand before making his way off court. It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise excellent clay-court season for the Carrera-native as he reached at least the semi-finals of the three Masters-level tournaments, as well as Roland Garros.
