It was a tough night for World No.51 and rising American talent Ashlyn Krueger at the Abu Dhabi Open. In the Saturday final against former title winner Belinda Bencic, who returned to the event after two years – having given birth to daughter Bella last year – Krueger failed to make it past the finish line. The 20-year-old was left dejected at the end, as Bencic won her first WTA trophy after embracing motherhood. But having reached so far is no small feat either for Krueger. While she was disappointed, there was one person still cheering for her and lifting her spirits up with a special message – her mother.

In the initial phase of the final, Krueger had a solid lead when she took the first set 6-4. However, Bencic made a powerful comeback and didn’t give her any chance later. Eventually, the Swiss lifted the trophy by wrapping up the encounter with a score line of 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. While the result wasn’t in Krueger’s favor, her mother Franchel Krueger was still proud of her.

For the unversed, Krueger’s mother has played an instrumental role in Ashlyn’s professional life. In fact, she was the one who initially motivated her daughter to take up tennis as a career. Franchel had been a tennis player herself in the 1990s. While she didn’t continue playing professionally, she encouraged her daughter to pursue the racket sport. On a previous occasion, Ashlyn made her involvement evident as well: “My mom played college tennis, and she started everything for me.” And the journey that began then, continues till date.

Ashlyn Kreuger’s mama took to her Instagram and put up a story on February 8, with her daughter’s clip from the final match. Trying to cheer her up, she wrote “What a memorable week!! Lots of positives Ash! ❤️”

Speaking of Krueger’s overall journey in Abu Dhabi, it was phenomenal. Before the final, she succeeded in winning four back-to-back matches – with some 3 setters against strong contenders like Leylah Annie Fernandez and Daria Kasatkina. And while in the end she couldn’t lift the winner’s trophy, the young star was happy for Belinda Bencic. The young American displayed maturity beyond her years as she composed herself after the loss and paid a tribute to the Swiss star.

Ashlyn Krueger admires Belinda Bencic as a title winning mom at Abu Dhabi Open

In less than four months of her comeback on the court after the maternity leave, Belinda Bencic finally managed to clinch her first WTA trophy. It was her second win overall at the Abu Dhabi Open since winning the title in 2023. Prior to this event, the former World No.4 and 2019 US Open semifinalist had already showed signs of improvement.

Last month, she was able to reach the fourth round of 2025 Australian Open. Sadly, she couldn’t go further after a loss to World No.3 Coco Gauff. But this month, she’s laid the foundation of a promising season ahead with a ninth career title win – and her second in Abu Dhabi. After defeating Krueger, who gave her a tough challenge in first set, Bencic said, “It was a tough final, I feel like I needed to put (on) my turbo in the second and third set. It was a really special moment, seeing Bella there in the third set,” reported the WTA’s website.

Continuing further, she added, “I just felt like I needed to go for it a little bit more, and I started to be more aggressive and loosen up a little bit more. I tried to give everything I had, run for every shot, and kind of play all-out.” Meanwhile, Krueger congratulated the victorious mom after the match. During a courtside interview, the American WTA pro said, “It is so impressive you coming back and being a mother, it’s really inspirational, so congrats and good luck”, reported BBC on Saturday.

Krueger may have lost this opportunity, but there’s another one waiting for the 20-year-old. She will soon be seen at the Qatar Open. Her first round match happens to be on Sunday where she will face compatriot and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Do you think Krueger will be able to make her way into the next stage? Let us know in the comments below.