Elite showdown in Charleston: A must-watch tennis spectacle

The 2025 Credit One Charleston Open will showcase an amazing cast of characters – and champions.

 

This year’s version of the iconic tournament, dubbed as “Where the Court Meets the Coast,” is star-spangled with nine Americans and star-studded with so much talent that 10 of the top 20 players in the world will be in town.

 

The top five players who will battle in Charleston include Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Qinwen Zheng, Emma Navarro, and Paula Badosa.

 

The field also includes five past champions and three Grand Slam winners, making it one of the most must-watch tournaments in its 25-year run in Charleston.

 

Keys joins Danielle Collins (2024), Belinda Bencic (2022), Veronika Kudermetova (2021), and Daria Kasatkina (2017) as past Charleston champions who are seeking another Daniel Island clay-court conquest.

 

Keys, Jelena Ostapenko, and Sofia Kenin are entrants who have been crowned champions at Grand Slam events.

 

Here are capsules of the top five players scheduled to play in Charleston.

 

Jessica Pegula, United States - World No. 4

Pegula, who is making her seventh appearance in the main draw and 11th overall in Charleston, will be the highest-ranked player on the WTA Tour and highest-ranked American in Charleston.

 

Pegula won two singles championships last year, including Toronto and Berlin, to finish the season ranked in the top 10 for the third straight year.

 

Also in 2024, Pegula joined Rosie Casals (1970), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1973) and Serena Williams (2013) as the only women in the Open Era to reach the championship at the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open, and U.S. Open in the same season.

 

She picked up the seventh title of her career and first of 2025 when she won the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, in early March. She is 15-5 this season.

 

She said it: “I’m always excited to return to Charleston for the Credit One Charleston Open. This tournament holds a special place in my heart, with wonderful memories from my two semifinal appearances and time spent in the Lowcountry over the past decade. I can’t wait to kick off my clay season in Charleston and play in front of a home crowd at Credit One Stadium.”

 

Madison Keys, United States - World No. 5

Keys turned 30 in February, and two of the constants in her life seem to be winning and playing in Charleston. This will be her 12th appearance on Daniel Island, in a season that began with Keys winning her first Grand Slam, the Australian Open.

 

The Rock Island, Illinois native owns eight WTA career singles titles and has been a U.S. Open finalist, a two-time Australian Open semifinalist, a Roland Garros semifinalist, and a two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist.

 

Keys, who is 20-10 in the COCO, was champion of the Charleston clay in 2019. She reached the finals in 2015, the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2023, and the semifinals in 2018.

 

She said it: “Charleston has always felt like home to me, and I can’t wait to be back at the Credit One Charleston Open. It’s a tournament I hold close to my heart… not just because of the results I’ve had there, but because of the amazing atmosphere. The fans, the city, the entire tournament feel like family. I’m excited to return and hopefully add to the special memories I’ve made there.”

 

Qinwen Zheng, China - World No. 9

Zheng has been impressive since 2022, when she was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year. She reached the quarterfinals in Miami and was three wins away from her fifth title leading up to the Credit One Charleston Open.

 

In 2023, she won singles titles in Palermo and Zhengzhou and added titles in Tokyo and Palermo the following year.

 

She’s been a finalist in five other tournaments, including the WTA Finals, Wuhan, and the Australian Open in 2024.

 

Zheng won a gold medal in singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

 

Emma Navarro, United States - World No. 10

Navarro is one of the WTA’s fastest rising stars, moving from World No. 58 to No. 8 in a year. The highlight of an impressive 2024 included her first WTA title at Hobart in January. She never slowed down as she played in the Paris Olympics and reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open.

 

She shone in each of the Slams, reaching the third round of the Australian Open, the fourth round of Roland Garros, and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

 

She picked up her second WTA title earlier this year with a double-bagel win in the championship of the Mérida Open Akron.

 

She said it: “I’m excited to return to my hometown tournament, the Credit One Charleston Open. Competing in front of my home crowd means so much to me. Last year has brought many career highlights and cherished memories, and the fans from Charleston have been with me every step of the way.”

 

Paula Badosa, Spain - World No. 11

Badosa, who seemed to be recovered from a season-ending injury in 2023, has found it hard to stay healthy early in 2025.

 

Badaso reached the Round of 16 in Miami this week in the lead-up to the Credit One Charleston Open but experienced pain so bad she seemed to be on the verge of tears. She was forced to withdraw.

 

The former BNP Paribas Open champion also withdrew from the Indian Wells event because of an apparent lower back injury.

 

The 26-year-old Spaniard retired from an earlier tournament, the Mérida Open in Mexico, as well.

 

When healthy, she’s among the best. Badosa reached the quarterfinal of last fall’s U.S. Open. She reached World No. 2 before being slowed by injuries.

 

She said it: “I’m really looking forward to returning to Charleston. This tournament means so much to me, especially with my past results there. I feel healthy and strong again, and I’m excited to build on the momentum from this season as I get ready to compete in Charleston again.”