Pegula, Keys Headline Deep, Talented Charleston Open Field

Jessica Pegula, Charleston Open
Jessica Pegula (photo: Charleston Tennis LLC)

CHARLESTON, S.C./WASHINGTON, March 31, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

The WTA Tour’s annual kick-off to the spring clay season, the Credit One Charleston Open, opens Monday on Daniel Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Expect to see a lot of sliding on the iconic green clay at Credit One Stadium during the next week as players transition from hard courts to clay.

South Carolina, along the Atlantic Coast, has been a mainstay of women’s professional tennis in the United States for more than 50 years and the Credit One Charleston Open dates back to its beginning in 1973 on Hilton Head Island. Formerly known as the Family Circle Cup, it has become the largest women-only tennis tournament in North America.

The winner of three consecutive WTA 500 Tournament of the Year awards, the Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island has been the tournament’s home since 2001 and it annually attracts more than 90,000 spectators each year. The Credit One Charleston Open will celebrate its 25th year in Charleston this week.

In its 53rd edition, the Credit One Charleston Open features a singles draw of 48 players and doubles draw of 16 teams. This year’s event includes nine Top 20 players, five past Charleston champions – including Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, Daria Kasatkina of Australia and Veronika Kudermetova of Russia – and three Grand Slam champions, including this year’s Australian Open titlist Madison Keys of the United States.

World No. 4 Jessica Pegula, who was a finalist this past weekend at the Miami Open presented by Itau, is the top seed in the Charleston singles draw. The American No. 2 is joined by two other Top-10 Americans, World No. 5 Keys, who won the title in 2015, and World No. 10 Emma Navarro, a South Carolina native. Defending champion Danielle Collins of the United States is back to defend her Charleston title. A total of 18 Americans are included in the main singles draw, and eight of them will be in action on Monday’s opening day.

Following a first-round bye, Pegula will open against either British wild card Heather Watson or qualifier Iryna Shymanovich of Belarus, while Keys will begin against either American Caroline Dolehide or Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy.

Among the other Top 20 players featured in the singles draw are: No. 9 Zheng Qinwen of China, No. 12 Kasatkina, No. 13 Diana Shnaider of Russia, No. 17 Amanda Anisimova of the United States and No. 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia.

Collins, who has won four career WTA Tour titles – including back-to-back crowns last year at the Miami Open and in Charleston – was also a quarterfinalist at the Paris Olympics and a semifinalist at Rome in 2024. She returns to Charleston for the fourth time and holds a 9-2 win-loss record in the Lowcountry. She’s also a 2023 Charleston doubles champion. Collins, who is seeded No. 7, will open against either Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria or American Robin Montgomery.

“Winning this event last year was an unforgettable moment, and the energy and love from the fans in Charleston made it even more special,” Collins said earlier this year, quoted by the tournament in a statement. “I can’t wait to come back, play in front of that amazing crowd once more, and give it my all.”

Last year’s finalist, Kasatkina, has reached the quarterfinals or better in all five of her Charleston Open appearances – including winning the 2017 title – and boasts an 18-4 win-loss record on Daniel Island.

“Charleston has always been a special place for me,” Kasatkina said in a statement earlier this year after announcing her commitment. “After winning in 2017 and reaching the final in 2024, I’m looking forward to returning this year. I really love playing front of the amazing fans there. Their support means a lot to me. I’m excited to be back to compete on the green clay, a surface that I feel really comfortable on.”

On Friday, Kasatkina revealed on social media that she is changing nationalities and going forward will represent Australia in pro competitions. After a first-round bye, the fifth-seeded Kasatkina will open against either American wild card Lauren Davis or qualifier Jamie Loeb of the United States.

Meanwhile, the top seeds in the doubles draw are Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand.

Around the Credit One Charleston Open

The two-day qualifying draw wrapped up Sunday afternoon and six players have been added to the singles draw. They include a trio of Americans: Wild card Jamie Loeb, Caty McNally and No. 2 seed Louisa Chirico. Plus, Zhang Shuai of China, No. 12 seed Katherine Sebov of Canada and No. 6 seed Iryna Shymanovich of Belarus.

Sunday’s Credit One Charleston Open results

Monday’s Credit One Charleston Open order of play

By the numbers

Both the Credit One Charleston Open singles and doubles finals will be held next Sunday, April 6. The doubles final is scheduled for noon and the singles final will begin not before 2:30 p.m.

“Quotable …”

“I have definitely been serving much better and moving really well. I think I want to be able to take that going into the clay court season and really just use those things. I know I’m known more for a hard-court player, but I think I can do well on the clay, too. So, hopefully with some of those intangibles that I have added to my game, that can help me have a good clay season.”

– Charleston top seed Jessica Pegula of the United States, during her post-match news conference at the Miami Open Saturday evening.

 

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