Olympic gold medalist Bencic back at COCO
Mon, 12/22/2025 - 1:33pm
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STAFF REPORT
World. No 11 and 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Belinda Bencic joins a strong Charleston field
featuring four top 15 players.
After ending the 2024 season ranked World No. 913, Belinda Bencic has climbed her way back into a top
spot on the WTA Tour and now enters the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open ranked World No. 11.
Her remarkable return was recognized with the Comeback Player of the Year award from the WTA.
Bencic played her last WTA match in September 2023 before stepping away to welcome her daughter in
2024. She returned to the tour at the end of that year and quickly found her footing again, winning her
ninth career title in Abu Dhabi – just her fourth tour-level event since making her comeback – and
eventually her 10th in Tokyo.
The 28-year-old Swiss player is the 2022 Charleston Open champion and a 2021 Olympic gold medalist.
She will join World No. 6 Jessica Pegula, World No. 7 Madison Keys, and World No. 15 Emma Navarro in
Charleston for the 54th edition of the tournament, set for March 28-April 5, 2026.
As the kickoff event of the WTA Hologic Tour’s clay season, the Charleston Open is held annually at
Credit One Stadium and was named WTA 500 Tournament four years in a row.
Bencic’s 2025 season included two titles in Abu Dhabi and Tokyo, along with semifinal runs at Wimbledon
and quarterfinal appearances in Indian Wells, Ningbo, and Hong Kong.
Bencic has competed in the Charleston field eight times, compiling an 18-7 record. Her breakthrough
moments at the tournament include a semifinal run as a teenager in 2014 and back-to-back finals against
Ons Jabeur in 2022 and 2023, capturing the title in 2022.
“The Charleston Open has always been a tournament I truly love playing,” said Bencic in a statement.
“I’ve had great success there over the years, from my first ever WTA Tour semifinal as a teenager to
winning the title, those moments have meant so much to me in my career. The fans in Charleston are
incredible, and the atmosphere there is something special. I’m really looking forward to coming back in
2026."
The nine-day Credit One Charleston Open showcases a singles draw of 48 players, a qualifying draw of
24 players, and a doubles draw of 16 players. The event traditionally hosts more than 90,000 attendees
on Daniel Island.
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