The future is always bright for tennis as the world is filled with several talented youngsters working hard to break out into the professional circuit. One such athlete is 16-year-old Ashlyn Krueger, who recently became just the second woman after Bianca Andreescu to achieve a rare tournament feat. 

Krueger is a terrific athlete who stands at six-foot-one and can torment opponents with her blistering backhands. The American has so far enjoyed a promising career, and she’s destined for more success.

She has amassed several accolades at a tender age, and her most recent achievement came when she won the coveted Orange Bowl trophy in the 18s division. 

Ashlyn Krueger matches the tremendous record set by Bianca Andreescu

We all know Bianca Andreescu as the athlete who defeated Serena Williams at the 2019 US Open. She raced to victory by defeating Williams in straight sets and became the first teenager to secure a Grand Slam singles title since Maria Sharapova in 2006. 

Now before all this, Andreescu had to come through the ranks to assert herself as a professional. She played plenty of junior tournaments and also took part in the prestigious Orange Bowl tournament which is held annually in Florida. 

The event is a renowned junior tournament that hosts two separate divisions – the 16s and 18s for both boys and girls. Bianca Andreescu has taken part in both divisions and she even set a historic record with back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015. 

Andreescu won the 2014 event in the 16s division while the following year she took part in the 18s and replicated the same result. She emerged as the winner on both occasions but in different divisions. 

Now, this is a record that was achieved before, but Bianca Andreescu became the first woman in three-decades to go back-to-back in different divisions. Her feat was widely celebrated and Ashlyn Krueger has now joined the exclusive list as well. 

The American teenager won the 2019 tournament in the 16s and you can guess it, she won it in 2020 by taking part in the 18s! 

Ashlyn Krueger speaks about her goals for the future

Krueger has already established herself as a talent to watch out for. Moreover, she matched Andreescu’s feat just five years after the Canadian achieved it. Of course, one would set high standards after creating history, but Krueger wants to take it slow. 

“I would love to play a junior Slam, that’s been a goal of mine for a really long time – any event, I’m not picky – and just playing more, playing more tournaments,” she mentioned. 

The teenager had to endure a mental battle to emerge as the Orange Bowl champion in 2020. However, she aced it and breezed past her opponent in straight sets. “For me it is really about staying positive, because when I get negative I don’t play well,” Krueger added. 

Ashlyn Krueger went 16-2 in 2020 and added three junior titles to cap off the season. The youngster enjoyed a positive run in a pandemic struck season and hopes to win a Junior Slam next year.