Credit One Charleston Open: 5 things to watch out for

By Nick McCarvel Mar 31, 2024 04:22pm ET

Credit One Stadium, Credit One Charleston Open 2024 Credit One Charleston Open Day 2 at Credit One Stadium on March 31, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Credit One Charleston Open has stood out for many reasons over the years as the largest women’s only tennis event in North America returns for its 52nd staging.

But the 2024 iteration of the beloved green clay WTA stop has one of its most compelling line-ups of top stars in recent memory in 2024, with 10 of the top 20 entered, six former champions and four Grand Slam singles winners.

MORE: Full singles draw | Tournament schedule

And don’t forget about newly-minted Miami Open champion Danielle Collins, who captured the biggest title of her career on Saturday (March 30). Actually, let’s start there – and if you read on you’ll find out why.

Defending champ Jabeur has tough test awaiting her
While Collins was on her way to winning in Miami, the Charleston singles draw was being made, with the American set to face former world No.2 Paula Badosa in the very first round. The winner of that match will face No.2 seed and defending champion Ons Jabeur, promising at least two must-see matches in just that section of the draw.

Zoom out and it gets even more intriguing: 2017 US Open champion and 2016 winner here Sloane Stephens could be a third-round foe for one of those three, as could the 2021 US Open runner-up, Leylah Fernandez of Canada.

No.7 seed Elina Svitolina is also in that quarter of the draw, her comeback story having started this very week a year ago.

We want to see the final product 📸@paulabadosa 🤗 @Ons_Jabeur #CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/oI38N9ZGBX
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) March 31, 2024

Kenin vs. Townsend – and a feast of first-rounders
While Badosa-Collins is one to see, it’s not the only first-round match-up that is compelling. Local fans will have a close eye on the all-American clash between Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open winner, and Atlanta’s Taylor Townsend, the dangerous lefty who plays an all-court game.

Another American Amanda Anisimova is continuing her path back to the tour after taking a personal break last year, and she meets French veteran Alize Cornet – for the right to play top seed Jessica Pegula in round two.

Others to watch out for: Magda Linette vs. Petra Martic and another all-American meeting, Caroline Dolehide vs. Kayla Day.

Sakkari, Keys, Kasatkina and more
There are tennis stars everywhere you look in this year’s singles draw, including former champions Madison Keys (2019) and Daria Kasatkina (2017), as well as recent Indian Wells runner-up Maria Sakkari, who has a new coach in David Witt.

Former Charleston winner Caroline Wozniacki is back, too, the 2011 champion not yet a year into her own return after leaving the tour for more than three years, having two children in that time.

Another mom in the draw? No.12 seed Victoria Azarenka, the former world No.1 and two-time major champion.

2023 French Open semi-finalist Beatriz “Bia” Haddid-Maia makes her first appearance in six years here, while Ekaterina Alexandrova, who just upset world No.1 Iga Swiatek in Miami, is a top eight seed, too.

Bia has entered the chat 🇧🇷@biahaddad1 is back in Charleston for the first time since 2018 👏#CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/JwnFM6Zvyp
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) March 31, 2024

Local love for Navarro, Rogers
For many years it has just been Shelby Rogers, who grew up in nearby Mount Pleasant, flying the local flag, but she is now joined by Charleston native Emma Navarro, who has had a meteoric rise over the last year and arrives as the world No.20, having just made the quarter-finals at Indian Wells.

Navarro stunned world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka en route to that quarter, and has 20 match wins so far in 2024, the third most on the WTA.

Rogers took much of the second half of 2023 away from tour for surgery while she also addressed a myriad of injuries… and got married to longtime partner John Slavik in December.

Navarro has a first-round bye, while Rogers will take on a qualifier for the right to meet 2021 winner here, Veronika Kudermetova.

Tournament ambassadors add star power
There’s a whole host of must-try activations around the grounds this week, including Har-Tru Play On After Dark on Thursday evening (8:15pm), Gospel Brunch on Sunday morning (9am) and much more.

The tournament also features a host of former stars as its ambassadors, including the legendary Tracy Austin, Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig, Grand Slam doubles winner Vania King, 2021 Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady and longtime WTA star Alison Risk-Amritraj.

And yes, if you see them around the grounds you should most certainly ask for a selfie.