The clay-court season on the Hologic WTA Tour is just around the corner, kicking off with the Credit One Charleston Open, a prestigious WTA 500 event held on Charleston`s renowned green clay courts.
Celebrating its 53rd year, this tournament, which began in 1973 on Hilton Head Island, holds the distinction of being the longest-running professional women`s tennis tournament in the United States. It has also been recognized as the WTA 500 Tournament of the Year for the last three consecutive years.
The main draw action begins on Monday, March 31st, featuring 48 top singles players, including many from the Top 20, and 16 doubles teams. They will be competing for a share of over one million dollars in prize money. The singles and doubles champions will be crowned on Sunday, April 6th.
As the Road to Roland Garros starts in South Carolina, here’s a rundown of essential information:
- Main Draw Begins: Monday, March 31
- Singles Final: Sunday, April 6, starting at 2:30 PM
- Doubles Final: Sunday, April 6 at 12:00 PM
- Qualifying Rounds: Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30
- Main Draw Ceremony: Saturday, March 29 at 3:00 PM
- Singles Main Draw Size: 48 players (including qualifiers and wild cards)
- Doubles Main Draw Size: 16 teams
- Tournament Ball: Dunlop Grand Prix Regular Duty
Key storylines to follow in Charleston include:
- Danielle Collins returns to defend her title. Last year, Charleston marked her first WTA 500 victory, part of a 15-match winning streak that propelled her back into the Top 10.
- Madison Keys, a Charleston favorite, will compete as a recent Grand Slam champion and at a career-high ranking of No. 5. She aims to add another Charleston title to her 2019 victory, having also reached the final in 2015.
- Jessica Pegula, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, is the top seed. She is looking to break through to her first Charleston final after reaching the semifinals in the past two years.
- Emma Navarro, representing Charleston, will play at her home tournament as a Top 10 player, following her recent Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances and a US Open semifinal. This event is where Navarro made her WTA main draw debut in 2019.
- Former Charleston champions Danielle Collins, Madison Keys, Daria Kasatkina (2017), Veronika Kudermetova (2021), and Belinda Bencic (2022) are all expected to compete. Bencic, in particular, is making a strong comeback after maternity leave, already winning a title and returning to the Top 50.
Charleston Open Ranking Points and Prize Money:
First Round: 1 point | $6,400
Second Round: 32 points | $7,975
Round of 16: 60 points | $12,900
Quarterfinals: 108 points | $25,550
Semifinals: 195 points | $51,085
Finalist: 325 points | $101,000
Champion: 500 points | $164,000
Stay tuned for further updates as the tournament approaches!
