Lois Boisson had already shaken hands with Emma Navarro. The match was over.
Her frustration was not.
Moments after Navarro completed a 7-6(6), 6(1)-7, 6-3 first-round victory at the U.S. Open on Monday, cameras caught Boisson unloading on a racket behind the American as Navarro celebrated with the Grandstand crowd.
The juxtaposition was almost too perfect.
Navarro raised her arms toward the fans in the foreground. Behind her, Boisson repeatedly smashed a spare racket until it was mangled, creating one of the tournament’s first viral clips.
The video quickly spread across social media, with the camera work itself becoming part of the joke.
It was an explosive ending to a match that had given Boisson plenty of reasons to believe she could win.
Lois Boisson Nearly Flipped Match Against Emma Navarro
The first-round meeting stretched across two days after rain suspended play Sunday with Navarro leading 7-6(6), 4-2.
When play resumed Monday, Boisson looked transformed.
The Frenchwoman broke Navarro when the American was serving for the match at 5-4, pushed the second set into a tiebreak and dominated it 7-1 to force a deciding set.
Boisson even broke first in the third.
Navarro immediately answered, however, then found another level late. The 26th-seeded American broke at 4-3 and closed out the match 6-3 to reach the second round.
“I’m just proud of my toughness,” Navarro said afterward. “It’s not easy being that close and losing a tough set.”
For Boisson, the emotional release came seconds later.
After the customary handshake, she walked toward her chair, picked up another racket and destroyed it while Navarro acknowledged the crowd.
Frustration Caps Difficult Season for Boisson
The reaction also landed against the backdrop of a frustrating year.
Boisson became one of tennis’ breakout stories in 2025 when she reached the Roland Garros semifinals as a wild card, defeating Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva during a stunning run. She climbed as high as No. 34 in the world.
By the week of the U.S. Open, she had fallen to No. 236 after an uneven 2026 season interrupted by physical problems. Her preparation for New York was hardly ideal, either. Boisson retired from a WTA 125 event in Philadelphia six days before the U.S. Open because of what her camp described as a minor left ankle twist.
Against Navarro, though, she looked capable of recapturing some of the stubbornness that powered her Paris breakthrough.
That may help explain why the finish stung so badly.
Boisson had survived the rain delay, erased a set-and-break deficit and dragged one of America’s most accomplished players into a third set.
Then, with the comeback within reach, Navarro took it away.
The match will officially go down as another first-round Grand Slam loss for Boisson.
The racket may end up being remembered longer.
Lois Boisson Goes Viral After Epic US Open Meltdown