Lois Boisson is living her dream at the French Open 2025, delighting the home crowd and captivating audiences all over the world. She’s through to the semifinals of the clay court Major on her Grand Slam debut. She’s also the first woman from the host nation to make the last four since Marion Bartoli in 2011.
Boisson’s path to the semifinals included wins over top 10 players Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula. Her success is all the more remarkable considering she was sidelined for a year after an injury prior to the French Open 2024. She returned to action a few weeks ago and credited the use of cutting-edge technology for her current results.
Boisson’s fitness coach Sebastien Durand suggested she give science-backed neurovisual training a shot to improve her performance. She agreed to it and the results are there for everyone to see. They explained the mechanics of the tech in an interview with the French Open media team.
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Boisson stated that the crux of it is visual exercises, syncing the brain and the eyes to make everything faster. It improves one's reflexes. In a game of fine margins like tennis, even a split-second decision can turn the tide of a match.
"It's very difficult to explain, but it's both visual and you just do some exercises differently. You connect the brain with the eyes, and then everything goes faster, you know, so it's really great for tennis. It was after my surgery. We did that (and) I came back faster," Boisson said.
"At the highest level, it’s all about small details. The more we optimise, the better our chances of success. The goal is to make everything as fast as possible. Doing these exercises has greatly improved my reactivity and it now comes naturally," she added.
Boisson's coach emphasized the focus on visual care, stating that unless that's taken care of it's tough to improve an athlete's performance. Together with orthoptist Angela Ragaigne, he has helped design a specific set of exercises based on the athlete's background and sport.
"Until the eye and visual care are healthy it’s hard to build performance. Knowing that 80 per cent of the information taken from the athlete's environment comes from their vision, we have developed a process, a method and specific exercises, designing a tailor-made neurovisual treatment specifically adapted to the athlete’s needs, background and sport," Durand said.
Given Boisson's results in Paris, more players could soon utilize this regimen. Her quick reflexes will be put to the test against one of the best speedsters in the sport, Coco Gauff.
Lois Boisson will face Coco Gauff in the French Open semifinals
Lois Boisson will lock horns with Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the French Open 2025 on Thursday, June 5. This will be her third consecutive match against a top 10 player.
However, unlike her last two opponents, Gauff has an impressive record in Paris. She was the runner-up here in 2022 and has a 25-5 record at the venue as of now. She also won the doubles title last year.
Boisson has played with remarkable poise so far. With the home crowd firmly in her corner, she will be keen to continue her dream run and book her spot in the final of the French Open.
