Preview: Madrid Open: Ashlyn Krueger vs. Sofia Kenin - prediction, head-to-head

One of the most compelling round of 128 matches on the women’s draw at the Madrid Open will feature an all-American meeting between Ashlyn Krueger and Sofia Kenin.

Krueger is coming off a round of 32 exit at the Charleston Open versus Peyton Stearns 6-7, 5-7, while her upcoming opponent was ousted from the tournament in the last 16 by Iva Jovic 5-7, 5-7.

Match preview

Ashlyn Krueger enters this tournament having put together a mixed bag of results on the singles tour so far in 2026.

The 21-year-old has won three of her last four opening tournament singles matches, but has only made it beyond the round of 32 once over that stretch, getting to the semi-finals of the ATX Open in Austin. Texas.

She will be hoping for a little redemption in Spain, having exited this competition in the opening round last year against Anastasia Potapova 7-6, 4-6, 2-6.

Since that loss, she has advanced beyond each of her opening round outings on clay, including a three-set victory over Caty McNally at the Charleston Open most recently.

So far this year, she boasts a 7-9 record on the singles draw, winning 58.1% of his service points overall.

Her return game has been rather underwhelming this year, with the American winning just 29.4% of her return points thus far.

A run to the round of 16 in Charleston may be what Sofia Kenin needs to regain some confidence with a busy string of tournaments on the horizon.

The 2020 Australian Open champion has been eliminated in seven of her last eight opening match outings this year on the singles draw.

Last year, she got to the round of 32 at the Madrid Open, winning her first match of that event over Lulu Sun 6-3, 6-2.

Not since a straight-sets defeat to Chloe Paquet at the 2024 Strasbourg Open has she exited a singles tournament on clay in her opening match.

This year, she has often been her own worst enemy, registering a mere 22 aces, while hitting 54 double faults to this point.

Overall, she has won 66.1% of her service games in 2026, while saving 52.3% of her break points on all surfaces.

Head To Head

Catalonia Open (2024) - Round of 16: Krueger wins 6-3 5-7 7-5

Catalonia Open (2024) - Round of 16: Kenin wins 6-4, 6-4

US Open (2025) - Round of 16: Krueger wins 6-4, 6-4

When these two first met in Spain two years ago, both women were sloppy, each with over a dozen double faults, but Krueger had the edge with seven aces, while Kenin failed to register one.

In Qatar the following year, Kenin only hit one ace, but won two of her five break point opportunities to take that match.

At Flushing Meadows last summer, Krueger once again upset her American counterpart despite losing the opening set, breaking Kenin’s serve twice to take the decisive third set.

We say: Kenin to win in three sets

Krueger has gotten the better of her, but Kenin should have more momentum following her solid showing in Charleston in her previous singles event.