The Miami Open kicked off with a jolt on Thursday, March 20, 2025, as the sun-soaked courts of Hard Rock Stadium bore witness to a stunning upset that sent ripples through the tennis world. Elena Rybakina, the world No. 8 and a two-time finalist at this very tournament, saw her 2025 season take yet another unexpected tumble, falling in her opening match to American Ashlyn Krueger in a gripping three-set battle, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. For Rybakina, a player once heralded as a dominant force with her towering serve and relentless baseline game, this defeat marked a continuation of a troubling year, while for Krueger, it was a career-defining triumph—the first time she’d ever toppled a top-10 opponent.
The match unfolded under the Florida sky with an intensity that belied its early-round status. Rybakina, seeded seventh and coming off a first-round bye, entered as the clear favorite, her pedigree underscored by back-to-back Miami finals in 2023 and 2024. But Krueger, ranked No. 40 and fresh off a straight-sets win in the first round, had other plans. The 20-year-old American struck first, snatching the opening set 6-4 with a single break of serve, her aggressive play catching Rybakina off guard. The Kazakh star, known for her stoic demeanor, rallied in the second, unleashing a barrage of winners—16 consecutive points on serve at one point—to level the match at 6-2. Yet, the decider revealed a tale of resilience. Krueger, undeterred, broke Rybakina’s serve in the fifth game of the third set and held firm, sealing the victory with a ferocious serve after one hour and 50 minutes of breathless tennis.
For Rybakina, this loss is more than a stumble—it’s a glaring red flag in a season already fraught with setbacks. “I’ve been struggling a bit this year,” she admitted in a post-match reflection, her voice tinged with frustration yet laced with resolve. “It’s been tough to find my rhythm.” The 25-year-old, who boasts a Wimbledon title from 2022 and a runner-up finish at the 2023 Australian Open, has been a shadow of her former self in 2025. Her year began with a fourth-round exit at the Australian Open, followed by a string of inconsistent results. At Indian Wells earlier this month, she fell in the round of 16 to rising star Mirra Andreeva, a defeat that hinted at vulnerabilities now fully exposed in Miami. With 650 ranking points to defend from last year’s final, Rybakina faces the prospect of slipping out of the top 10—a precipitous fall for a player once tipped to dominate the sport.
Krueger, meanwhile, basked in the glow of her breakthrough. “This is huge for me,” she said, her grin wide as she soaked in the crowd’s applause. “To beat someone like Elena, who’s been so strong here, it’s a confidence boost I’ll carry forward.” The American’s journey to this moment has been one of quiet ascent. With a 12-8 record this season, including a runner-up finish in Abu Dhabi and quarterfinal runs in Brisbane and Adelaide, she’s been knocking on the door of the elite. Her Miami triumph—her first win in seven attempts against top-10 foes—came with a gritty stat line: one break in each of the first and third sets, enough to topple a giant. Next up, she’ll face either Taylor Townsend or Yulia Putintseva, a chance to build on a victory that’s already the talk of the tournament.
The broader Miami Open canvas added depth to the day’s drama. While Rybakina faltered, other stars shone. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed, roared into the third round with a 6-3, 6-0 demolition of Viktoriya Tomova, her power on full display after a shaky moment serving for the first set. Elsewhere, fourth seed Jasmine Paolini and sixth seed Qinwen Zheng cruised through in straight sets, their victories a stark contrast to Rybakina’s woes. The women’s draw, already brimming with talent like Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, now buzzes with the unpredictability this upset injects.
Rybakina’s struggles in 2025 can’t be pinned to a single cause. A coaching shakeup late last year—parting with Stefano Vukov and bringing in Goran Ivanisevic—promised a fresh start, but the results haven’t followed. Health issues, from illnesses to minor injuries, have plagued her, forcing multiple withdrawals in 2024 and seemingly lingering into this season. “I’m working on it,” she said, hinting at the physical and mental toll. “I just need time to get back to my best.” Yet, time is a luxury the relentless tennis calendar rarely affords, and with clay season looming, the pressure mounts.
For fans, this match was a microcosm of tennis’s brutal beauty—where a champion can falter and an underdog can soar in the span of a few hours. As the Miami Open rolls on, Rybakina’s early exit leaves a void, but it also opens the door for new narratives. Krueger, with her fearless play and newfound belief, might just be the one to write the next chapter. For Rybakina, the road ahead is one of redemption—a chance to silence the doubters and reclaim her place among the elite. In Miami, though, the story belongs to the victor, and Krueger’s star is rising fast.
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