What a difference a year makes in professional tennis.

This time last year, 22-year-old American Ashlyn Krueger walked into the All England Club sitting at a career-high ranking of world No. 29, carrying the comfort of a seeded spot. Fast forward to this summer, and a tough 12-month stretch dropped her ranking out of the top 100, forcing her to pack her bags for the grass-court qualifying courts in Roehampton.

Instead of letting the fallback stall her momentum, Krueger leaned directly into it. Coining the phrase “qualiesmaxxing”on her Instagram, she embraced the grind. Today, that grind officially paid off: after a commanding 6-3, 6-2 third-round victory over Daria Snigur, Ashlyn Krueger is moving on to the fourth round of Wimbledon.

“I don’t think I have words, to be honest,” Kruger said to ESPN’s Kris Budden after her victory. “It’s just such a dream. I grew up watching this tournament on TV as a little girl, and to be in the second week, it’s, like, I don’t even know how to put it towards, but I’m so happy, and fortunate, and blessed,”

Krueger’s spectacular run in London isn’t just about a hot streak; it’s about a complete mindset shift. After splitting with coaches Michael Joyce at the end of last year and Hugo Armando after the French Open, Krueger arrived in the U.K. essentially flying solo.

Accompanied by her mother, Franchel, and childhood coach Dave Anderson, Krueger has taken a heavily hands-on approach to her career:

Self-Scouting: She is doing her own opponent research and match analysis.

Anxiety Management: An avid music lover, she travels with multiple headphones and uses specific audio frequencies to calm her nerves before taking the court.

A Solid Foundation: Managing her own physical training and nutrition schedules. “There were a lot of things last year that were out of my control, that affected my game and my performance,” Krueger noted earlier in the tournament. “So now that everything’s back in my control, I’m just playing better tennis.” The Road to the Fourth Round The numbers behind Krueger’s current grass-court campaign are staggering. She is currently 15-1 on grass, a stretch that includes capturing the Ilkley WTA 125 title right before arriving at SW19. Counting her three hard-fought qualifying matches, she is riding an incredible 11-match winning streak.      

Her opening-round match set the tone for the entire fortnight. Facing down world No. 31 Donna Vekić—who was fresh off winning the WTA 500 title at Queen’s—Krueger rallied from a set and a break down to secure a massive upset. From there, her confidence snowballed. She dropped just one game in her second round against Mariam Bolkvadze and looked completely untouchable against Snigur, winning 86% of her first-serve points.

The Takeaway: 

At 6’1″, Krueger has always possessed the raw power required to dominate on faster surfaces. By marrying that natural power with an independent, self-driven approach to her tactical preparation, she has unlocked a brand new level of maturity in her game. Whether she goes even deeper into the second week or not, Ashlyn Krueger has officially reminded the tennis world exactly what she is capable of. The “qualiesmaxxing” chapter is over—the second-week contender has arrived.