Ashlyn Krueger, Top 15? American has big goals after upsetting Elena Rybakina in Miami

Ashlyn Krueger already had big goals for her 2025 season—and after the tennis she showed on Thursday to upset two-time former finalist Elena Rybakina at the Miami Open, there's no reason to believe the 20-year-old American can't reach them.

The world No. 40 scored the biggest upset of the women's event so far—eight seeds fell on Thursday, the first day the Top 32 hit the court at the WTA 1000 event after all received first-round byes—in a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 tilt that lasted one hour and 50 minutes, despite at one stage losing 22 consecutive points on return. Krueger had previously been 0-6 against Top 10 opponents in her young career, having never won a set.

But a win against a player like Rybakina is a natural progression for the fast-rising American, who in the last year reached two WTA 1000 third rounds, a major third round at the US Open, and reached the final of the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in February. And in fact, watching Krueger for stretches against the 2022 Wimbledon champion was a bit like looking in the mirror: five years Rybakina's junior, Krueger is also six-foot blonde, right-hander with clean strokes and a penchant for first-strike tennis.

"Big serves, big returns," Krueger said, comparing the two in her on-court interview. "I knew there weren't going to be a ton of long points. So a lot of serves, first balls -- who was going to get on top of the point quicker."

The American entered the season with ambitious goals to match her explosive game, she later revealed to Prakash Amritraj on the Tennis Channel desk.

"Top 15 at the end of the year," she said.

Already at a career-high ranking, how can Krueger push higher? By going with the flow, she says.

"Everything just connects [when she plays her best tennis], and I see the court really well," Krueger said. "I go for my targets and I have no hesitation. When I have no hesitation, everything just flows. Today out there, I found that a couple of times."

Krueger will get a second match in as many months against Leylah Fernandez up next, having also defeated Miami's No. 16 seed in a thrilling three-set quarterfinal in Abu Dhabi. All four of Krueger and Fernandez's head-to-head matches have come since last June.

"It's a great match-up for me. Leylah's game style, I really like to play her, I like to take her shots and move forward and serve well. We've had battles every single time, and I'm just looking forward to that again."