Charleston Open field includes the world’s best

Let the clay-court season begin.

 

The 2024 Credit One Charleston Open includes five Grand Slam champions, five Charleston champions and four top 10 players.

 

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

 

Jessica Pegula

United States                        

World No. 5

Pegula is the highest ranked player on the WTA Tour and highest ranked American to commit to Charleston, checking in at No. 5.

 

Pegula has won three singles titles including the Canadian Open last August.

 

She reached at least the quarterfinals of 11 tournaments last year, including Charleston. Pegula will compete in Charleston for the sixth time.

 

She said it: “I’ve spent a lot of time here; I grew up in Hilton Head. That’s really where I learned how to play tennis. I have a lot of ties down here. I have a lot of people that I know, friends from Hilton Head or just when I used to live here.”

 

Ons Jabeur

Tunisia                              

World No. 6

The defending Charleston Open champion, Jabeur has one of the most impressive resumes in the field of 64 with three appearances in Grand Slam events.

 

Jabeur has won five WTA titles and has been consistently ranked in the top 10 since 2021 to become the most successful African and Arab tennis player in history. She has been a regular in the top 10 for the last three years.

 

In addition to Charleston, the 29-year-old Jabeur reached the semifinals in Adelaide and Stuttgart last year and reached the quarterfinals in Paris and Cincinnati.

 

Jabeur, who is making her sixth appearance in Charleston, reached the Wimbledon finals for the second year in a row.

 

She said it: “I’m sleeping with (the Charleston Open trophy). I’m kicking my husband out of the bed and sleeping with the trophy tonight. It really means a lot. I’ve been wanting to win this tournament for a long time. So it’s nice to have a great memory here in Charleston.”

 

Maria Sakkari

Greece                      

World No. 9

Sakkari was the first Greek woman ever to break into the top 10 and to reach the WTA year-end finals after a successful 2023 when she reached the semifinals or better at eight tournaments, including Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid and Washington D.C.

She also claimed the biggest win of her career in Guadalajara.

 

She is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, reaching the semifinals at the 2021 Roland Garros and US Open.

 

This will be Sakkari’s third time in the Charleston Open field. She made the quarterfinals in her last appearance in 2019. 

 

She said it: “I am really looking forward to competing again in Charleston after my last time there five years ago. I played well on the green clay and really enjoyed the tournament’s laid-back atmosphere. I would love to lift the Charleston trophy.” 

 

Jelena Ostapenko

Latvia                     

World No. 10

Ostapenko owns eight singles championships, including two this year: Adelaide and Linz.

 

She won her first Grand Slam event, claiming Roland Garros in 2017. She used the ’17 tourney in Charleston as a springboard to Paris, finishing second on Daniel Island to begin the clay-court season. This will be her third appearance in Charleston.

 

Her other recent Grand Slam accomplishments include quarterfinal finishes in 2023 at the US Open and Australian Open.

 

She said it: “Reaching the final in Charleston in 2017 was the start of a wonderful clay season for me, ending with my first Grand Slam title at the French Open. I’m looking forward to coming back to play Charleston again for the first time in five years.”

 

Daria Kasatkina

Russia

World No. 11

Kasatkina has enjoyed much success on the green clay on Daniel Island, owning a 14-3 career mark in the tournament.

 

She won in Charleston in 2017, while reaching the semifinals in ’16, ’18 and ’23.

 

Considered one of the promising new faces on the WTA Tour, she made her top 10 debut near the end of the 2018 season and has been ranked as high as world No. 8 near the end of the 2022 season.

 

Kasatkina has won six singles titles.

 

She said it: “Charleston will always have a special place in my heart and brings back really good memories for me. I won my first title at this tournament when I was 19 years old and I love playing on the green clay and exploring the city. I’m excited to be back again this year.”

 

Ekaterina Alexandrova

Russia                       

World No. 16

Alexandrova reached World No. 16 for the first time last year, a position she continues to hold heading into Charleston.

 

She won her fourth career title in 2023, claiming Rosmalen for the second consecutive season in a tune-up for Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round.

 

Alexandrova, the No. 7 seed in last year’s Charleston Open, advanced to the Elite Eight with a victory over Julia Grabher of Australia. However, she lost to Belinda Bencic in the semis.

 

She said it: ”And for me, I came here just like the start of the clay season here, so I will play as many matches as I can, and be now here like in the semifinal for me just feels just like super amazing, and I’m super excited.”

 

Elina Svitolina

Ukraine

World No. 17

Svitolina has been ranked as high as No. 3 in her career.

 

She became Ukraine’s first Olympic tennis medalist in Tokyo in 2021 when she captured the bronze medal. The 29-year-old holds 17 WTA titles. She has reached 10 quarterfinals or better rounds at a Grand Slam, reaching at least the quarterfinals of all four slams.

 

After taking a year off to give birth to her first child, she made her return to tennis in Charleston in April 2023.

 

She said it: “Charleston was the perfect place for me to return to the sport I love. I felt so welcomed by the attendees when I stepped back out onto the court for the first time. I’m excited to come back now a year later and compete again in front of such a wonderful and supportive crowd.”

 

Madison Keys

United States                   

World No. 18

Keys, who has been ranked as high as World No. 3, just might be the grande dame of the Charleston Open with 10 appearances on Daniel Island that translates into a 20-9 record.

 

In Charleston, Keys has reached two quarterfinals, one semifinal and two finals. Keys won the Charleston title in 2019, defeating Caroline Wozniacki. The 2024 Credit One Charleston Open will be her 11th time in the field, competing in every Charleston tournament since 2013.

 

Keys, who has played in the Holy City every year since 2013, won seven WTA championships last year.

 

She also claimed victory in her first appearance at the US Open. She was a finalist in 2018 at Roland Garros.

 

She said it: “I think I have had a lot of success here in Charleston, even more so than just winning the tournament. I’ve made the quarters. I’ve made the semis. I’ve made the finals before. So I’ve had a lot of really good wins here, so I feel like I just have a lot of confidence, and I feel very comfortable playing here. I do think that there’s always the added element of I love playing here.”