Stephens, Sakkari added to Credit One field
Maria Sakkari and Sloane Stephens have committed to the 2024 Credit One Charleston Open, the largest women’s-only professional tennis tournament in North America, March 30-April 7, 2024, on Daniel Island.
Named WTA 500 Tournament of the Year, the Charleston Open is the annual clay season kickoff event on the Hologic WTA Tour.
Sakkari ended her WTA season ranked within the top 10 for the third year in a row. Stephens is the 2016 Charleston champion and 2017 US Open champion. They join World No. 5 Jessica Pegula, World No. 6 and 2023 Charleston champion Ons Jabeur and World No. 12 and 2019 Charleston champion Madison Keys in next year’s player field.
“We have an incredible field of tennis champions already committed to play in Charleston next year and ticket sales and demand for 2024 continue to outperform previous records,” said Bob Moran, tournament director of the Credit One Charleston Open and president of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “Maria had a strong 2023 season and delivered impressive results throughout the year. We are excited to welcome her back to Charleston after a brief hiatus and we know our fans are eager to watch one of the Netflix “Break Point” stars compete on our green clay. Sloane is a beloved fan favorite at our tournament and continues to do remarkable work both on the court and through her foundation. She’s developed a huge base of devoted attendees in Charleston!”
Sakkari is currently ranked World No. 9 and is the first Greek woman to break into the top 10. She reached the semifinals or better at eight tournaments this year, including Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid and Washington D.C., and captured the biggest title of her career in Guadalajara. For the third consecutive year, she qualified for the WTA Finals, and is the only player from Greece to ever compete in the season-ending tournament. She is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, reaching the final four at the 2021 French and US Opens.
The 2024 Credit One Charleston Open will be Sakkari’s third time in the field. She made the quarterfinals in her last appearance in 2019.
“I am really looking forward to competing again in Charleston after my last time there five years ago,” said Sakkari. “I played well on the green clay and really enjoyed the tournament’s laid back atmosphere. I would love to lift the Charleston trophy next spring!”
Stephens holds seven WTA career titles, including her maiden Grand Slam at the US Open. She was a 2018 French Open finalist and has been ranked as high as World No. 3. This season, the American reached the quarterfinals in Mérida, Austin and Cleveland and the semifinals in Rabat.
Stephens has competed in the Charleston field 10 times and holds a 12-9 record. She won the tournament title in 2016 and reached the quarterfinals round in 2019 and 2021.
“Charleston is absolutely one of my favorite stops on tour and I look forward to the tournament every year. The event always has amazing crowds and I can’t wait to be back again in April,” said Stephens.
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.
Tickets and packages can be purchased online at creditonecharlestonopen.com or by calling 843-856-7900. For additional information, please email tickets@charlestontennisllc.com.