It`s time for a change of surface as we move from the fast hard courts of Indian Wells and Miami to the clay court season.
The clay season begins this Monday with the Credit One Charleston Open, a WTA 500 event on green clay. This tournament was recognized as the WTA 500 Tournament of the Year last year.
A strong player field is expected, including four Top 10 players: No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 5 Madison Keys, No. 9 Zheng Qinwen, and No. 10 Emma Navarro, along with nine players from the Top 20. The top 16 seeded players have a first-round bye.
Here are some key storylines to follow:
Top 5 Seeds Preview
No. 1 Jessica Pegula: Coming off a strong run to the Miami Open final, where she finished as runner-up to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Interestingly, this is Pegula`s 11th appearance in Charleston, starting as a qualifier ranked No. 528 in 2011. She has reached the semifinals in the past two years.
No. 2 Madison Keys: Keys is having a successful year, highlighted by winning her first major at the Australian Open against Sabalenka. Her 16-match winning streak was broken by Sabalenka in the BNP Paribas semifinals. Charleston has been a happy hunting ground for Keys, with 12 appearances and a title win in 2019. Her record on these green clay courts is 20-10.
No. 3 Zheng Qinwen: Despite only playing here once before (retiring in her second match in 2022), Zheng`s game is well-suited for clay. Last year, she reached the quarterfinals in Rome and the third round at Roland Garros. After a slow start to the season, the reigning Olympic singles champion has found form with quarterfinal appearances at Indian Wells (lost to Iga Swiatek) and Miami (lost to Sabalenka).
No. 4 Emma Navarro: Navarro, a former top-ranked junior, first played in the main draw here as a wild card in 2019. Five years later, with a record of 54-24, she was named the 2024 WTA Most Improved Player of the Year. Navarro reached the Round of 16 at Roland Garros, defeating Sara Errani and Keys before losing to Sabalenka.
No. 5 Daria Kasatkina: Kasatkina is a fan of this tournament. She won the Charleston title in 2017 and was a finalist last year. Her overall record here is impressive at 18-4.
Collins Aims for Charleston Repeat
Danielle Collins was in excellent form last year, winning six matches at the Miami Open and then another six in Charleston, securing the two biggest titles of her career. She transitioned seamlessly to clay, defeating strong players including Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, Sloane Stephens, Elise Mertens, Maria Sakkari, and Daria Kasatkina in the final. Only her match against Jabeur went to three sets. Collins went on a 16-match winning streak and returned to the Top 10. She has a 5-4 record this season so far.
Potential Quarterfinals
No. 1 Jessica Pegula vs. No. 7 Danielle Collins
No. 3 Zheng Qinwen vs. No. 6 Diana Shnaider
No. 4 Emma Navarro vs. No. 8 Amanda Anisimova
No. 2 Madison Keys vs. No. 5 Daria Kasatkina
Qualifying Success Stories
A notable mention goes to 40-year-old Bethanie Mattek Sands and 36-year-old Zhang Shuai, who played in the second round of qualifying on Sunday. Both are highly ranked in doubles, but Zhang advanced to the main draw with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory in just under two hours. Zhang is ranked No. 172, while Mattek-Sands was aiming for her first main draw appearance in seven months and her first at a 500 level tournament (Grampians Trophy, Melbourne) in over four years.
Also qualifying for the main draw: No. 231 Iryna Shymanovich defeated No. 281 Elvina Kalieva 7-6 (6), 6-4 and will play wild card Heather Watson. Katherine Sebov, a 26-year-old Canadian ranked No. 330, defeated Kyoka Okamura 6-4, 6-2 and will face Katie Volynets.
Possible Second-Round Matchups to Watch
No. 4 Zheng Qinwen vs. Maria Sakkari
No. 15 Ashlyn Krueger vs. Katie Volynets
No. 17 Belinda Bencic vs. Sofia Kenin
