At just 21 years old, Ashlyn Krueger made it through to the second round of the French Open on Monday, defeating Suzan Lamens in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. It was a confident and composed showing from Krueger, who is participating in only her second main draw appearance at Roland Garros.
Last year, the tall American failed to get past the opening round in Paris and experienced a similar result at the Australian Open earlier this year. So, making it to the second round of a Grand Slam is a positive milestone for the young player.
Since turning pro in 2021, Krueger has faced challenges at Grand Slams, with early exits being the norm. Apart from a breakthrough at last year’s US Open, where she reached the third round, this win in Paris marks her best result yet on clay at a major.
Krueger’s team includes top-tier coaching talent in Michael Joyce, a former player best known for coaching Maria Sharapova to multiple Grand Slam titles. He began working with Krueger in 2021 after previous roles with stars like Jessica Pegula and Victoria Azarenka.
But Krueger’s connection to Sharapova isn’t just through Joyce. Much like the Russian legend, Krueger is tall, powerful, and blonde. She recalls deciding to become a pro at age 11 after watching Sharapova dominate. “She looked like me,” Krueger said. “That was important—it made me believe I could do it too.”
Krueger’s 2025 season has shown encouraging signs of growth. She kicked off the year with a quarterfinal run at the Brisbane International, taking down sixth seed Anna Kalinskaya. In Adelaide, she again reached the quarterfinals after surviving the qualifiers and claimed a major victory over fifth seed Paula Badosa before withdrawing against top-seeded Pegula.
Though the Australian Open proved underwhelming, Krueger quickly rebounded by making the final of the WTA 500 in Abu Dhabi, where she lost to Belinda Bencic. With her form on the rise and expert guidance from Joyce, a deep French Open run doesn’t seem out of reach.
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