Contenders for the 2026 Charleston Open When the Green Dust Clears
With the top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka doing what top-ranked players do, lifting the Miami Open Trophy against third-ranked Coco Gauff, the WTA Sunshine Swing finally ends, making way for the Clay Court Swing season to kick off. The Credit One Charleston Open is held on Daniel Island, South Carolina. A WTA-exclusive, 500-level tournament, it will be the last on U.S. soil for a while as things drift to Europe throughout the Clay Swing, of course, a precursor for the next major slam, the French Open, or Roland Garros. The only green-clay, Har-Tru surface tournament on the tour, the draw is stacked high with ravenous players who did incredibly in Miami and are eager to show up again here, many of them Americans, hopeful for a home title.
Top Seed, Contender, and Defending Champ.
American Jessica Pegula, the top seed and currently ranked fifth on the tour, defends her title as the champion of this event after winning last year. As a fierce competitor, she faces the pressure of needing to reach the final again this year to defend her 500 ranking points. Pegula has honed her skills over the past several years while waiting for a major breakthrough. In 2024, she reached the U.S. Open Finals and consistently made it to the semifinals and quarterfinals of all four Grand Slam Tournaments over the last three years. She also secured high-level titles in Dubai, Montreal, Seoul, and Bad Homburg, all 500 and 1000 events. With her powerful hitting and considerable recent experience in doubles, it’s no surprise that she won the Har-Tru title in the past. The hardcourt-like-clay conditions provide the ideal setup for her, especially as she has improved her speed and movement in recent months.
An Olympic Gold Medalist and Another Defender
Swiss third-seed Belinda Bencic has been playing phenomenally consistently for the past few months. Holding 10 titles, the 2020 Tokyo Gold Medalist is a dangerous and strategic player who was formerly ranked fourth, has returned to top form after extended injury breaks and even a maternity leave in 2023, and only made her official return to the tour in January 2025. She has been busy and successful in her efforts. Winning two 500-level titles in Abu Dhabi and Tokyo in 2025, making the finals in the 2026 United Cup with Switzerland, and reaching several quarters and semis at other events, including this recently concluded Miami Open, all contributed to her rapid return to the 12th-ranked position. Seeing that she’s won the title once before, in 2023, and it remains her only clay title to date, there’s no doubt that a hunger for another lingers. Anyone who counts her out of this race would be making a foolish mistake. Pegula’s and Bencic’s staggered places in the draw could make for an interesting final or even semi-final, and a rematch to Indian Wells a few weeks ago, where Pegula took out the Swiss in straight sets.
The Lefty Olympic Silver-Medalist
2025 Monterrey Open Champion, Diana Shnaider of Russia, could be another danger to look out for. Though this isn’t the regular red clay, the lefty could bring stiff competition as all adjust from hardcourt to this. Holding the champion trophy of the 250 Grand Budapest Prix Open in 2024, and two WTA clay tour titles, slipping and sliding about while shooting for the lines should be no feat for her. If she keeps consistency and sense within her sight, that is. The 20th-ranked had a relatively good year on hard court in 2025, but her Doubles Olympic Silver was in the Paris 2024 Olympics, which was on the classic red clay. Her 2026 hasn’t been the smoothest, with early exits in most of the high-level titles, other than for the Adelaide International, where she lost in the semis. Again, like all, the hunger and motivation will be potent for the Russian seventh-seed.
Play starts on March 30th, with the main draw now that the qualifiers and wild cards have been decided. Many dangerous players lie in wait and could pose a threat if they stay on the course of consistency. Namely, the 2025 Australian Open Champion and fifth-seed, American Madison Keys. Other Grand Slam champs and finalists litter the draw as well. 2017 U.S. Open Champion and 2018 French Open finalist, Sloane Stephens, another American, is a known claybug and got a wild card into the draw. Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 2021 U.S. Open finalist, is also here and holds a love for clay, too. She’s the 2023 French Open Ladies’ Finalist and won the Junior French Open in 2019.
