The tennis season shifts to clay courts after the hard court tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
The Credit One Charleston Open, a WTA 500 event and last year`s WTA 500 Tournament of the Year, begins this Monday on green clay.
A strong player field includes four Top 10 players: Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Zheng Qinwen, and Emma Navarro, along with nine of the Top 20. The top 16 seeds have a bye in the first round.
Here are some key storylines to follow:
Top 5 Seeds Preview
No. 1 Jessica Pegula: Coming off a Miami Open final appearance, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. This is Pegula’s 11th Charleston event, starting as a qualifier in 2011. She reached the semifinals in the last two years.
No. 2 Madison Keys: After winning her first major at the Australian Open against Sabalenka, Keys` 16-match winning streak ended in the BNP Paribas semifinals against the same opponent. A former Charleston champion in 2019, this is her 12th appearance with a 20-10 record here.
No. 3 Zheng Qinwen: Played here once before in 2022, retiring in her second match. She performs well on clay, reaching quarterfinals in Rome and the third round at Roland Garros last year. After a slow start, she`s reached quarterfinals at Indian Wells and Miami.
No. 4 Emma Navarro: Played her first main draw as a wild card in 2019 as a top junior. Named WTA Most Improved Player of the Year in 2024 with a 54-24 record. Reached the Round of 16 at Roland Garros.
No. 5 Daria Kasatkina: A Charleston favorite, having won the title in 2017 and been a finalist last year. Her record here is 18-4.
Collins Aims for Another Title
Danielle Collins was dominant last year, winning both Miami and Charleston titles. Her Charleston run included wins over Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, Sloane Stephens, Elise Mertens, Maria Sakkari, and Daria Kasatkina in the final. She had a 16-match winning streak and returned to the Top 10. Her season record so far is 5-4.
Potential Quarterfinal Matchups
Jessica Pegula vs. Danielle Collins
Zheng Qinwen vs. Diana Shnaider
Emma Navarro vs. Amanda Anisimova
Madison Keys vs. Daria Kasatkina
Qualifier Success
Bethanie Mattek Sands (40) and Zhang Shuai (36), both doubles specialists, played in qualifying. Zhang advanced to the main draw, defeating Mattek-Sands 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Zhang is ranked No. 172, while Mattek-Sands sought her first main draw appearance in seven months.
Iryna Shymanovich, ranked No. 231, also qualified, defeating Elvina Kalieva and will play wild card Heather Watson. Katherine Sebov, a Canadian ranked No. 330, defeated Kyoka Okamura and will face Katie Volynets.
Possible Second-Round Matches
Zheng Qinwen vs. Maria Sakkari
Ashlyn Krueger vs. Katie Volynets
Belinda Bencic vs. Sofia Kenin
