The Credit One Charleston Open final is set to be a battle of resilience, featuring No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula and Sofia Kenin.
Pegula`s journey to the final marks a breakthrough after two previous semifinal losses in Charleston. Her hard-fought semifinal victory against Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, demonstrated her determination, as she overcame numerous break points.
“I’ve always felt like I’ve played good tennis here and had good results,” Pegula commented, reflecting on her Charleston performances. Looking ahead, she asserted, “But I told myself in Miami I really want to go for the title this year. And I think I can do it.”
Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, is staging a comeback after a period outside the Grand Slam spotlight. After finishing 2022 ranked No. 235, she has steadily improved her form.
Kenin reached the final when Amanda Anisimova retired due to injury in their semifinal match. A victory over Pegula would represent Kenin`s first title in five years and propel her back into the Top 25 rankings.
This final is the first All-American Charleston final since Martina Navratilova defeated Jennifer Capriati in 1990.
“It’s great that one of us is going to hold the trophy — and I hope I’ll be the one,” Kenin stated, looking forward to the final.
Advantage, Pegula
Pegula`s adaptability is key. Just days after playing the Miami Open final on hard courts, she transitioned to the clay in Charleston seamlessly.
Despite losing the Miami final to Aryna Sabalenka, Pegula quickly shifted focus to Charleston. Starting as the top seed, she demonstrated her clay-court readiness with a dominant second-round victory over Iryna Shymanovich.
Now, Pegula is competing in her second final in two weeks, and her third this season. Her 24 wins in 2025 lead the WTA Tour. Having overcome her Charleston semifinal hurdle, she aims to secure the title.
Pegula holds a slight 3-2 head-to-head advantage over Kenin, including a win at the US Open last year. However, Kenin defeated Pegula on clay at Roland Garros four years prior.
Pegula noted similarities between her semifinal opponent Alexandrova and Kenin: “They definitely like to take the ball early, change lines,” Pegula explained. “Really good backhands, really good returners. Yeah, it’s going to be tough again, I think very similar to today. I’m going to have to dig deep. Hopefully take some of the things I learned today and use that tomorrow.”
A win on Sunday could elevate Pegula to No. 3 in the WTA rankings, surpassing Coco Gauff, and match her career high, providing significant momentum for the European clay season.
Advantage, Kenin
As an unseeded player, Kenin enters the final with less pressure. Pegula, as the top seed, carries the weight of expectation.
Kenin`s Charleston history includes only two prior match wins in six appearances. However, she quickly surpassed that this year, defeating Bernarda Pera and Belinda Bencic in straight sets. A notable upset victory over No. 5 seed Daria Kasatkina followed, and she continued her strong run by defeating Anna Kalinskaya to reach the semifinal.
Kenin’s last streak of four consecutive wins was in Tokyo last fall, where she reached the final, also defeating Kasatkina.
Her previous clay-court win against Pegula at Roland Garros could be significant. Kenin`s angled game is well-suited to clay, while Pegula`s flatter shots are typically more effective on hard surfaces.
“Jess is a machine,” Kenin acknowledged. “She can play literally week in, week out. I really look up to her. I think what she’s doing is great. I hope tomorrow she can be a little bit off so I can win.”
“I’m expecting a battle. I’m expecting her to come out fully recovered, 100 percent.”
Kenin`s resurgence is remarkable. Ranked No. 75 in February and needing to qualify for the Abu Dhabi WTA 500, where she lost in the first round, she has rapidly turned her season around.
Now, Kenin is on the verge of a significant career milestone.
“The way I’m playing, my mentality has changed,” Kenin stated. “I’m not looking up to Jess in terms of, `Oh, my God, can I win a few games?’ I’m going there with the attitude of winning the match.”
