WASHINGTON, December 9, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)
Momentum is already building for the 2025 Credit One Charleston Open, which is the annual kickoff to the WTA Tour’s spring clay competition. On Friday, tournament director Bob Moran announced that 2022 champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland has been added to the growing list top players for the 25th anniversary of the 500-series event that already includes Top-10 Americans Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, as well as World No. 12 Paula Badosa of Spain and 2019 Charleston Open champion Madison Keys, currently ranked 21st.
The 2025 Credit One Charleston Open will take place on Daniel Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry from March 29 to April 6.
“We’re always excited when past champions return to our tournament and 2025 is no exception,” said Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment, in a statement. “Belinda has chosen Charleston as one of her first tournaments back on tour after welcoming her daughter this year.”
Belinda’s coming back to Charleston
The 2022 #CharlestonOpen champion recently made her return to tennis after welcoming a daughter in April. With a gold medal, eight titles and one Grand Slam semifinal appearance at the US Open, she’s ready to reclaim her trophy. pic.twitter.com/pQegtaWCp9
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) December 6, 2024
In November 2023, Bencic announced her pregnancy and welcome a daughter in March. Now, the 27-year-old eight-time titlist on the WTA Tour, who won an Olympic gold medal for Switzerland at the 2020 Tokyo Games and has been ranked as high as World No. 4 in the PIF WTA rankings, has returned to competition – and with plenty of good results.
After reaching the quarterfinals at Petange, Luxembourg last month, Bencic defeated Lola Radivojevic of Serbia 6-2, 6-2 in a Billie Jean King Cup match representing Switzerland. Then, this past week in Angers, France, competing in a WTA 125 indoor hard-court event, the 27-year-old from Flawil, Switzerland strung together four consecutive straight-set wins to reach the final of fourth edition of the Open In Arte Agnes Loire in Trelaze.
En route, Bencic defeated Patricia Maria Tig of Romania, Mariam Bolkvadze of Georgia, Oceane Dodin of France and Dominika Salkova of the Czech Republic to advance to the final. In Sunday’s title match, she lost to 84th-ranked American Alycia Parks, the 2022 Angers champion who was seeded third this year, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-0, in two hours and 22 minutes. Parks struck 14 aces and converted four of 19 break points against Bencic, who countered with three aces but committed eight double faults. She broke her opponent twice in five attempts. Parks outpointed Bencic 108-91.
Afterward, in accepting the runner-up prize, Bencic said in her remarks: “It’s great to be able to return to the court.”
Despite the setback in the final, Bencic is set to return to the WTA Top 500 – at No. 481 – after her performance in Angers. She’s entered in another WTA 125 event in Limoges, France this week after receiving a wild card into the Open BLS de Limoges.
Feeling pic.twitter.com/MLgMPp8SGO
— Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) December 5, 2024
Looking ahead, Bencic is excited to return to the Credit One Charleston Open in 2025. “It’s a special place for me – winning the title in 2022 and reaching the finals in back-to-back years was an unforgettable experience. After taking time off to welcome my daughter into the world, I feel more motivated that ever to step back onto the court and compete,” she said in a statement from tournament organizers.
“Charleston is a wonderful city, and the fans there have always been incredible. I can’t wait to share this next chapter with them.”
Bencic has entered next month’s Australian Open using a prior ranking (No. 15), which should give her a good indication of where here game stands against tour-level competition.
