It`s time to switch gears in tennis. Following the fast hard court tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, the focus now shifts to clay courts.
The clay season begins this Monday at the Credit One Charleston Open, hosted on green clay. This event marks the first Hologic WTA Tour 500 tournament on clay this year and was recognized as the WTA 500 Tournament of the Year last year.
The Charleston Open boasts a strong player lineup, including four Top 10 players: No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 5 Madison Keys, No. 9 Zheng Qinwen, and No. 10 Emma Navarro, as well as nine players from the Top 20. The top 16 seeded players have been granted first-round byes.
Here are some key storylines to watch:
Top 5 Seeds Breakdown
No. 1 Jessica Pegula: Coming fresh off a final appearance at the Miami Open, where she was defeated by 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 her best performances over the last two years.
No. 2 Madison Keys: Keys is having a standout year, highlighted by her first major win at the Australian Open against Sabalenka in the final. Her 16-match winning streak was halted by Sabalenka in the BNP Paribas semifinals. Charleston has been a significant venue for Keys, marking her 12th participation. She won the tournament in 2019, and her record on these green courts is 20-10.
No. 3 Zheng Qinwen: Despite only playing here once before and retiring in her second match in 2022, Zheng`s playing style 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 rebounded with quarterfinal finishes at Indian Wells (lost to Iga Swiatek) and Miami (Sabalenka).
No. 4 Emma Navarro: Navarro, once a top-ranked junior, made her main draw debut here as a wild card in 2019. Five years later, with a 54-24 record, 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 big fan of this tournament, and this year will be her first appearance representing Australia. She previously won the title in Charleston in 2017 and was a finalist last year. Her overall record here is an impressive 18-4.
Collins Aims for Repeat Success
Danielle Collins was on fire 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 smoothly to clay, defeating 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 then extended her winning streak to 16 matches and returned to the Top 10. This season, her record is 5-4 so far.
Potential Quarterfinals Matchups
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 competed in a second-round qualifying match 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 is No. 231 Iryna Shymanovich, who defeated No. 281 Elvina Kalieva 7-6 (6), 6-4 and will play wild card Heather Watson. Additionally, Katherine Sebov, a 26-year-old Canadian ranked No. 330, beat Kyoka Okamura 6-4, 6-2 and will face Katie Volynets.
Possible Second-Round Matches to Watch
No. 4 Zheng Qinwen vs. Maria Sakkari
No. 15 Ashlyn Krueger vs. Katie Volynets
No. 17 Belinda Bencic vs. Sofia Kenin
Rupert Caldwell