'This is my first speech, so be nice to me': Lois Boisson captures first pro title at Hamburg Open, cracks top 50

Lois Boisson recently secured her first professional title after defeating Hungarian Anna Bondar in the final of the WTA 250 Hamburg Open, guaranteeing her entry into the top 50 for the first time in her career. The French tennis player showed that what happened at Roland Garros wasn't just a stroke of luck, and this time she took home her maiden professional title.

Boisson's journey over the last year has been, at the very least, remarkable. She went from being an unknown just a couple of months ago to becoming perhaps the biggest surprise of a Grand Slam tournament this year. Boisson was outside the top 500 at the beginning of May this year, and had never in her career entered the top 150.

The Frenchwoman surprised everyone a couple of months ago by reaching the semifinals of Roland Garros – after receiving a wildcard – and eventually fell to eventual champion Coco Gauff in straight sets. Boisson climbed from outside the top 500 to World No. 63 after that tournament.

Boisson proves Roland Garros no fluke with Hamburg title

Boisson made a name for herself among the best, securing victories against rivals like Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva along the way. However, she still needed to show the same consistency in another tournament. She failed to get through Wimbledon qualifying, and last week at the Nordea Open, she only reached the second round.

This time in Hamburg, Boisson once again showcased her quality on clay courts, having a remarkable tournament. She defeated Julia Grabher, Tamara Korpatsch, Viktoriya Tomova, and Dayana Yastremska on her path to the final. In the title match, she defeated Hungarian Anna Bondar 7-5, 6-3, securing her first professional title.

"This is my first speech, so be nice to me," Boisson joked at the awards ceremony. "Congratulations to Anna for your incredible week. I'd like to thank Sandra for the wildcard because without it, I wouldn't be here. I wanted to thank everyone at the tournament, all those who worked to make this tournament so enjoyable, all the staff. And thanks to one of my physios; he managed to keep me in shape. Thank you to everyone who encourages me. I think we worked well, and I'm happy to have you by my side."

The 22-year-old tennis player will now advance to her career-high ranking of World No. 44, entering the top 50 for the first time.

From Injury to Roland Garros Sensation: Boisson's Rapid Rise

Everything changed in Boisson's career in late May of this year, when she received a wildcard for Roland Garros 2025 and made her first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw. The Frenchwoman had previously lost in qualifying for the same tournament between 2021 and 2023, while in 2024, she couldn't even compete due to an injury that had kept her off the court and had curtailed her ascent at an earlier age.

No one would have predicted what happened at the French Open, where Boisson debuted with a remarkable three-set victory over 24th seed Elise Mertens, securing the best win of her career. The surprise continued as she made it through the first week with victories over Anhelina Kalinina and Elsa Jacquemot, setting up a clash with World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the fourth round.

The talented Frenchwoman displayed her great quality in an unthinkable match, coming from a set down to defeat Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. There would still be room for one more victory: an impeccable quarterfinal against Mirra Andreeva, where she saved several set points in the first set to win 7-6, 6-3. Boisson, however, couldn't continue her dream run and eventually fell to eventual champion Coco Gauff in the semifinals.