Charleston Open Begins With Mixture Of American Veterans, Rising Talent On Display

Akasha Urhobo
Akasha Urhobo (photo: Charleston Tennis LLC)

CHARLESTON, S.C./WASHINGTON, March 31, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

Main draw play at the Credit One Charleston Open, the WTA Tour’s annual kickoff to the spring clay season, began with a slate of opening-round action that featured both a mixture of veterans and rising talent.

With a total of 17 Americans spread across the 48-player draw, Monday’s order of play gave fans who came out to LTP Daniel Island a chance to soak up some early-spring sunshine, pleasant-but-breezy 72-degree (Fahrenheit) temperatures, and to watch popular wild cards Sloane Stephens and Jennifer Brady plus up-and-comers like Katie Volynets and surprising 19-year-old qualifier Akashi Urhobo in action.

Stephens and Brady, both who are making comebacks this season after being sidelined with lingering injuries, were featured later in the afternoon on Credit One Stadium. First, though, the 86th-ranked Volynets opened play in the 54th edition of North America’s largest women’s-only pro tennis event against No. 76 Eva Lys of Germany and came from behind to pull out a satisfying victory, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0, in two hours and 13 minutes.

Although both 24-year-olds brought similar resumés into their first-round match, by the end, it was Volynets who proved to be the better player. Three days ago, Volynets was set to be the top seed in the 24-player qualifying draw. However, thanks to some late withdrawals, she was elevated into the 48-player main draw and took advantage of her opportunity against Lys, although it took some time to get on the right track.

“I think she started really well in the match and I was catching my footing a little bit,” Volynets said during her on-court interview. “I was a little bit off balance at the beginning here and there. Then, we started having some really great points and I knew I just needed to keep going and working on my tennis in the second and third sets. I’m happy I was able to do that.”

Volynets began the first-round match by committing 18 unforced errors in the opening set, which she lost when her serve was broken for the third time. However, she corrected her course – motivated herself – and made just seven unforced errors spread across the final two sets. Volynets found her grove and started to mix up her attack with drop shots and by hitting angled returns to catch Lys on her back foot.

The Walnut Creek, Calif.-native finished with 21 winners compared to 24 by Lys, who also racked up 40 unforced errors. Volynets outpointed her opponent 95-72 to improve to 5-6 at tour level (11-8 in all competitions).

The German No. 3 Lys, who was playing in just her third tournament of the season due to a knee injury and looking to break a two-match losing streak, proved to be just the right opponent for Volynets. Although it took the American time to get on track. After Lys won the 59-minute opening set, Volynets lost only two more games. She won 12 of the final 14 games of the match.

“[Eva] was hitting so many winners – playing amazing [in the first set] – and I knew that I needed to step it up in order to come back,” Volynets said during a sit-down interview with Tennis Channel. “I was so close. I tried not to get upset with myself and to carry on in the second set. Getting upset at myself doesn’t help.”

Instead, Volynets looked toward the crowd for support and focused on maintaining a positive attitude. “I talked to myself, saying ‘C’mon, Katie. Let’s go, you’ve got this.’ I keep talking to myself about getting better and finding the right shots,” she explained. “Even if I miss them, I can live with that but if I don’t take them I might be a little more upset.”

Volynets said although she doesn’t prefer to play three-set matches on clay, like she did against Lys, “whatever I need to do to win is appreciated.” The bottom line is she’s happy with whatever surface she’s playing on at the moment.

After reaching the second round at Charleston in each of the three years she’s competed, Volynets will face No. 7 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia in the second round Tuesday evening. She is winless against Shnaider in two previous meetings. 

“She’s another amazing player,” Volynets said. “I’m going to keep looking to have fun, play my best tennis and improve as much as I can.”

Qualifier Urhobo records first tour-level victory

Qualifier Akashi Urhobo of the United States, ranked 273rd, recorded her first tour-level victory Monday afternoon after her opponent, No. 65 Solana Sierra of Argentina, was forced to retire due to dizziness. The 19-year-old Urhobo led 7-5, 3-0 after an hour and 14 minutes on Court 3 when Sierra became ill.

Urhobo dropped just six games combined during her two qualifying draw wins over the weekend, against fellow Americans Whitney Osuigwe and Elvira Kalieva, to earn a berth in the main draw. Now, she’s through to the second round of her first WTA 500 event.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Urhobo won her first major ITF Pro Circuit title two years ago at the Florida Sports Coast Open by defeating Iva Jovic. She’s won three ITF titles overall and reached eight finals. Urhobo received a wild card for the 2024 US Open qualifying but lost in the first round to Priscilla Hon of Australia. She also received a wild card to make her WTA main draw singles debut at the 2024 Merida Open but lost in the first round to Renata Zarazua of Mexico.

On Tuesday afternoon, Urhobo will face No. 13 seed Sara Bejlek of Czechia.

A tale of two American wild cards

Sloane Stephens, who captured the Charleston Open singles title in 2016 and the doubles title in 2024, has been ranked as high as World No. 3 and owns eight career titles, including the 2017 US Open crown. Making her 12th appearance in the South Carolina Lowcountry, after battling injuries and competing in only six WTA Tour events in 2025, Stephens has steadily worked her way back onto the tour this year but it’s been a struggle as her 1-5 main-draw win-loss record attests. 

Stephens, whose ranking has dropped to No. 554 while dealing with a right foot stress fracture that caused her to miss much of the 2025 season, met her match in 85th-ranked Renata Zarazua of Mexico. She lost 6-2, 6-0 in 65 minutes on Credit One Stadium. Although Zarazua hit just 14 winners, she also made just eight unforced errors and scored many points behind a reliable and steady diet of drop shots. Zarazua benefited from 31 unforced errors by Stephens and five breaks of serve. Zarazua outpointed Stephens 54-23 to record her second win this season against the 33-year-old American and third overall.

“I think I’m moving a little bit better,” Zarazua, 28, said during her on-court interview. “I struggled a little bit on hard courts moving. I feel like my body hurts more now that I’m older. On clay, I feel like I can still move and run.”

Later, Zarazua was asked by Tennis Channel about her effective use of drop shots – a big part of her attack – which adds craft to her game. Does it come naturally? “I work on it a lot,” she said. “I think a lot of it is playing with instinct. I’m not a hard hitter and I don’t have a great serve or the best groundstrokes. So, I have to find my way through winning the point other than just hitting the ball hard.”

Next, Zarazua will face another American in No. 15 seed Hailey Baptiste on Wednesday.

The afternoon session in Credit One Stadium ended with Brady, a 2021 Australian Open finalist and 2020 Lexington champion, falling to 169th-ranked Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria, 6-4, 6-3, in an hour and 27 minutes.

The 571st-ranked Brady returned to competition earlier this year at Austin, Texas, her first tournament since Beijing in October 2023 after dealing with significant knee and foot injuries that required surgery and rehabilitation. Although this was only her third appearance as a player in Charleston, she’s served as a tournament ambassador for the past three years, hosting clinics, talk shows and participating in meet-and-greets throughout the event.

However, Tomova, 31, who made her WTA Tour debut in 2009 and is two years removed from a career-best ranking of No. 46, saved all three break points she faced from Brady. She broke the 30-year-old native of Harrisburg, Pa., three times in six ties and outpointed Brady 62-51, which included hitting 17 winners.

“I love clay; I grew up on clay. Since I was six-years-old I have played on clay courts more than I have on hard courts,” Tomova said during her on-court interview. “Today, I used my drops shots really well. They worked out really well. I was picking up the points well and using top-spin and taking advantage of my opportunities.”

Next, Tomova, who will be appearing in just her third main-draw match of the season, will take on No. 8 seed Anna Kalinskaya of Russia on Tuesday.

Around the Charleston Open

• Monday’s night session in Credit One Stadium’s featured a pair of tour veterans and best of friends since childhood, No. 75 Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia against 115th-ranked qualifier Donna Vekic of Croatia.

Vekic went the distance and came from behind to beat Tomljanovic, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in two hours and 13 minutes.  She held her nerve and converted five of 13 break points, including in the ninth game of the final set that enabled her to serve out the victory in the next game. Vekic struck 32 winners – including seven aces – and outpointed Tomljanovic 99-93.

Next, Vekic will take a 1-4 head-to-head into her second-round match against No. 5 seed Madison Keys of the United States on Wednesday.

• Other first-round winners:

• No. 49 Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine, who No.66 Anastasia Zakharova of Russia, 7-5, 6-2, in an hour and 36 minutes on Althea Gibson Court behind four breaks of serve. Next, Yastremska will face No. 3 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland on Tuesday evening.

• No. 53 McCartney Kessler rallied from a set down to defeat 143rd-ranked lucky loser Elvira Kalieva, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, in two hours in an all-American match-up on Althea Gibson Court. Kessler broke Kalieva’s serve four times and outpointed her 91-74. Next, Kessler will face No. 12 seed Janice Tjen of Indonesia on Wednesday.

• No. 68 Anna Bondar of Hungary advanced with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over 116th-ranked lucky loser Darla Vidmanova of Czechia in two hours and seven minutes on Althea Gibson Court. Bondar converted six of 14 break points and outpointed Vidmanova 92-76. Next, she will face No. 11 seeds Magdalena Frech of Poland on Wednesday.

• No. 72 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, who advanced over 105th-ranked New Zealander Lulu Sun, 7-6 (6), 6-2, in two hours and five minutes on Court 3 by outpointing her opponent 86-72. Next, Putintseva will play No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula of the United States on Wednesday.

• In doubles, No. 4 seeds Miyu Kato of Japan and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico advanced to the quarterfinals with their 6-2, 6-2 victory over Americans Ayana Akli and Ivana Corley in 66 minutes on Court 3. Kato and Olmos outpointed their opponents 55-42.

Also, No. 2 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Alexandra Panova of Russia advanced over Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway and Quinn Gleason of the United States, 6-1, 1-6, 10-4, in one hour and 20 minutes on Althea Gibson Court. Melichar-Martinez and Panova outscored their opponents 49-44.

Monday’s Charleston Open results

Tuesday’s Charleston Open order of play

By the numbers

Thirty-five percent of the 48-player singles draw (17) are comprised of players from the United States. There are six seeded Americans – No. 1 Jessica Pegula, No. 4 Iva Jovic, No. 5 Madison Keys, No. 15 Hailey Baptiste, No. 16 Sofia Kenin and No. 17 Peyton Stearns. Three former Charleston champions – Pegula (2025), Keys (2019) and Sloane Stephens (2016) – are Americans.

“Quotable …”

“I’m not a big fan of clay. I like the color, it’s pretty cute. I think that’s the only thing I like about clay. You always get dirty. I’m wearing extra-long socks so clay doesn’t get inside [my shoes] because it feels a little bit weird. I’m mostly a hard-court player. I do enjoy really playing on clay because you have to build the point more, you can run, you can slide – this court is actually very slippery so I don’t expect I’ll slide much. The season on clay is very short, but I’m going my best. I’m going to try to enjoy the clay.”

– Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine, during her on-court interview, after defeating Anastasia Zakharova of Russia to advance to the second round. 

 

Search

Brigitte Urban
Tennis photographer
camera lens

International Blogs

Michael Dickens

Once-In-A-Lifetime Photograph Of Jasmine Paolini Tells A Great Story

December 29, 2025

Marc Raffel

2026 wieder Herren-Weltklassetennis in Troisdorf

December 19, 2025

Dietmar Kaspar

TC Augsburg startet neu strukturiert mit großen Ambitionen in die 1. Bundesliga

December 12, 2025

Florian Heer

Björn Kroll beim Hamburg Ladies & Gents Cup: “Wir möchten unseren Spielern eine gute Plattform bieten!”

October 26, 2025

Podcast

Categories