Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears remain one of sport’s most brutal setbacks, striking in split seconds when athletes cut or pivot under pressure. Women, especially young athletes, face nearly triple the risk due to lower hamstring and glute strength and estrogen-driven ligament laxity. Now, that same devastating injury has sidelined Varvara Gracheva, leaving her comeback timeline clouded in uncertainty.

Gracheva, the French number two, shared difficult news on Tuesday, March 31. She confirmed that she suffered a serious knee injury during training. “I’m disappointed to share that last week, during a training session, I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The recovery will be long, but I am determined to come back stronger than ever when my body is ready,” the 25-year-old and current world No. 59 wrote.

Despite the setback, she remains focused on her recovery. She is determined to return to the court when she is fully ready.

“I can’t wait to get back on the pitch as soon as possible, but in the meantime, stay tuned to discover my other activities during my recovery,” she told her followers.

Before the injury, Gracheva had a mixed start to the season. She reached the second round at the Australian Open. She also made it to the round of 16 at the WTA 1000 event in Doha. However, her form dropped in other tournaments. She exited in the second round in Dubai. She then suffered first-round losses in Indian Wells and Miami.

This injury comes at a difficult time for French women’s tennis. Currently, only four French players are ranked inside the top 100. Gracheva was one of the main hopes for France. She will now miss the chance to compete and defend her position this season.

Known as “Varya,” she was born in Russia and became a French citizen in May 2023. She had dropped outside the top 100 last summer but fought back to reach world No. 59, though she will now miss months of action along with Lois Boisson, who is also sidelined.

Lois Boisson has been sidelined for more than seven months now

Lois Boisson has not played an official match since the end of September 2025. Her last appearance came when she retired during the Beijing tournament. She had a breakthrough year in 2025. She reached the semi-finals of the French Open, which was a huge achievement given that she was ranked outside the top 350 at the time.

After that run, she confirmed her rise. She won a title in Hamburg and moved comfortably into the top 50 in the rankings. However, her progress was slowed by repeated injuries. These physical issues started to affect her consistency and momentum.

Her 2025 season ended early due to a thigh problem. Because of this, she had to withdraw from the Australian Open and later from the WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Doha in early 2026.

Before Indian Wells, she shared an update. She explained that she had not fully recovered from a right forearm injury.

Her absence from Miami Open, however, was not due to physical discomfort, according to RMC Sport. By skipping the tournament, she officially activated a six-month absence period.

This decision allows her to use a protected ranking for eight tournaments. It is a major advantage as she has 720 points to defend from her Roland-Garros semi-final, which is more than half of her total 1339 points.

Currently ranked world No. 39, she will still be able to enter top tournaments without playing qualifiers. With her expected return approaching, possibly at the Billie Jean King Cup or the WTA 250 in Rouen, fans now eagerly await the comeback of both Boisson and Varvara Gracheva.