By Emma Christian, a student journalist at the University of Nevada, Reno
In a fiery tennis match completed with an ace serve, 22-year-old Highland Village native Ashlyn Krueger claimed her spot in the Roland Garros main draw.
Krueger competed against fellow American Mary Stoiana on Thursday, May 21. By winning that match, Krueger earned her spot in the main draw of the French Open, one of largest Major Tournaments in the sport.
The match was the third round Krueger had to play in the bracket of qualifiers, the make-or-break moment that leads to the main draw of the French Open. It was Krueger’s first time playing in the qualifying rounds.
Krueger and Stoiana kept the match close the whole time, with Stoiana taking the first set in a tiebreaker. The following two sets, Krueger won 6-3 and 6-1.
“We’re just excited to get, you know, three wins in a row,” said Hugo Armando, Krueger’s coach. “Not only did she win, but she played well. So, hopefully she carries that momentum into her first round, that’d be great.”
Krueger began working with Armando, a former ATP professional, in 2025. Since the coaching change, fans have seen more consistency and improvement in her game.
Entering the main draw of a Grand Slam is a major achievement in any tennis career, and this was not Krueger’s first time.
In her first two appearances at Roland Garros, her best finish came in 2025 when she made it to the second round of the main draw.
This year, Krueger fell to Croatian Antonia Ruzic in three sets. Krueger took the first set 6-3, but lost the last two 6-2, each.
Despite the loss, Krueger and her coach are looking forward to the future.
“She feels good physically. I think her mentality is a little different,” said Armando. “I think she’s matured a lot, and I think she’s added a little bit more options to her game. So, I think she’s starting to use that and feel comfortable with that. So, we’re starting to see that, and it’s fun to see her play that way.”
Krueger took her first two competitors of the qualifying rounds, French player Margaux Rouvroy and Argentinian player Luisina Giovannini, in straight sets.
Krueger was helped by her powerful and consistent serve, making it a challenge for her opponents to break it.
In her match against Stoiana, Krueger served nine aces.
After the French Open, Krueger will likely take on another pair of Major tournaments, Wimbledon starting at the end of June and the US Open starting at the end of August.
As a teenager, Krueger was quick to rise to the elite ranks of tennis. She received multiple awards and qualified for the Team USA National Junior Tennis Team in 2019.
The National Junior Team is a training program designed to give the best young players the opportunity to train together and travel to play the best junior competition around the world.
