10 things to Remember from the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open
WHAT WE WON’T SOON FORGET FROM THE WEEK THAT WAS ON DANIEL ISLAND
The Credit One Charleston Open has a tendency to make history every time it’s staged.
And 2026 was no different.
With a record-setting $2.5 million on the line in player compensation — the most of any WTA 500 and equal to that at the ATP 500 level — the beloved women’s-only event was changing the game once again… even before a single ball was hit.
But from qualifying to championship point, Family Weekend to Ladies’ Night, the hidden Hotel COCO to an intimate Althea Gibson Club Court, record crowds flocked to Daniel Island for the 54th edition of the longest-running WTA event in North America.
Twenty-five years on Daniel Island looks good on us, doesn’t it?
Here are 10 things we were obsessed with from the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open.
After a quartet of three-setters delivered the reigning champion to the singles final, Pegula saved her best for last, conquering the week’s Cinderella story Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-2, 6-2 to earn her second consecutive Charleston title. Pegula’s win marked the first time a champ successfully defended her Charleston crown since Serena Williams in 2012-13. It was far from easy: Pegula needed come-from-behind wins over Yulia Putintseva, Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Diana Shnaider to arrive to the semifinals, where she was down a break to American teen Iva Jovic in the third set before surging back for the win. In total, she spent over 11 hours on court.
“It was definitely a tough path,” Pegula said of her 14-set march to the title, adding that she believes it sets her up well for what could be a clay season to remember. “”I would rather have it this way going into the clay season, having the match play. This is great for my clay season as a whole.”
2. Last-minute pairing Krawczyk/McNally go golden
When Desirae Krawczyk was left partner-less for the tournament just days before Charleston got underway, a text message she sent to Caty McNally turned out to just the right play. The first-time duo didn’t drop a set in their run to the doubles title, beating Anna Bondar and Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
Throughout the week, fans showed up for the doubles — in droves. On Tuesday, doubles was the match to watch when Pegula and fellow American Asia Muhammad took on another American in Jennifer Brady and her partner Erin Routliffe, the defending Charleston doubles champ from New Zealand, on Court 3.
There really is nothing like doubles in Charleston.
3. $2.5 million — equally earned
The purse for this year’s event more than doubled the payout from 2025 ($1.2M), and leads the charge in women’s tennis for all WTA 500s to achieve equal prize money with their ATP counterparts by 2033.
That paycheck for Pegula? $354,345 — up from $164,000 in 2025.
$200,000 of that $2.5 million total goes to the Women’s Tennis Benefits Association, which contributes to a player pension, health insurance, wellness support programs and more.
“It’s huge; it’s incredibly important,” WTA CEO Portia Archer said about the prize money bump pre-tournament.
“I think this sends an empowering and strong message to the players, to the tour, to fans, and to other potential investors: This sport is strong.”
‘Women’s sports are delivering:’ A conversation with WTA CEO Portia Archer
4. Return of the champions — many champions
You didn’t have to go far to see familiar faces of tennis past playing their part in this year’s Charleston Open. Tournament ambassador and Hall of Famer Tracy Austin is a mainstay, commentating on matches inside the Tennis Channel booth, taking part in various fan-facing activations (like the DXC Pro-Am fundraiser and tennis talks on the Oaks Deck) and stopping by to chat with VIPs in courtside suites.
WTA stars Chanda Rubin and Andrea Petkovic (2014 Charleston champion) joined Tracy on Tennis Channel, as did familiar Lowcountry faces Danielle Collins (2019 Charleston champion), Alison Riske and Shelby Rogers.
The boys of the Nothing Major podcast were back for a second year in a row, too, with John Isner, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson playing a variety of roles in their visit, including as hosts of a new pedicab confessional video series featuring Brady, Ajla Tomljanovic and Eva Lys.
The Hall of Fame doubles duo of Bob and Mike Bryan made their tournament debut, rocking out with their band in a special concert on the Club Court on Friday before they teamed up with Krawczyk and McNally for a mixed doubles exhibition inside Credit One Stadium on Saturday morning.
5. The place to be: Hotel COCO leads on-site innovations
It wouldn’t be a Charleston Open without a plethora of innovations away from the tennis itself. In 2026, that meant the creation of Hotel COCO by BHC, a hidden social hub tucked away behind Court 3 that brought a boutique, resort-style lounge atmosphere for fans who ventured there.
Also new was the COCO Co-Op, a retail pop-up space featuring a mix of local Charleston-based brands with customizable shopping experiences. And, alongside the Co-Op, The Kitchen, which overlooked the pickleball courts and offered fans an open-air restaurant concept highlighting Lowcountry flavors and regional ingredients.
6. Team USA just keeps delivering
Seventeen American women featured at the outset of the event, with four of them — Pegula, Madison Keys, Iva Jovic and McCartney Kessler — making respective runs to the quarterfinals.
With Pegula, Keys and Jovic making the semis, it marked the eighth time in tournament history that a trio of the final four were homegrown stars, and just the second time since 2004.
Jovic, at just 18 years old, truly announced herself to the Charleston crowd in her tournament debut. The teen, already ranked inside the world’s top 20, pushed Pegula to the brink in their semi-final.
It’s safe to say she feels right at home here: “I love everything that this tournament is doing for women’s sports… being just women, equal prize money, so many people showing up throughout the entire week,” Jovic told reporters after her quarterfinal.
“And I hope more tournaments can step up the way that Charleston has,” she added. “And I think the people are really nice… the Southern charm.”
7. ‘I think this is the best city in America’
That Southern charm is on display throughout players’ stay here — American or not.
That “best city” quote above came from Czechia’s Sara Bejlek, who was in Charleston for the first time — and clearly infatuated with it.
Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto agreed: “Italians, when we retire, we are meant to move home… but I might need a place here, too,” she laughed in a post-match interview.
Players — no matter where they’re from – swoon for the Lowcountry each time they visit, and this year was no different. Maria Sakkari and Peyton Stearns had the unique experience of taking the Daniel Island Ferry from downtown to the tournament site.
“I’d love to come here like that every day,” Stearns quipped.
The brand-new Cooper Hotel hosted a casino-themed player party, players hit the city’s restaurants in droves, and the people — the people! – felt as welcoming as ever.
“Everyone loves Charleston; everyone loves playing here,” said Keys, who has played here some 13 times.
“I always tell people, ‘If there’s a tournament that you’re trying to go to, you should absolutely go to Charleston because it’s a big tournament… but it feels so quaint. Everyone is just so friendly here.”
8. Fan favorites keep coming back
While Keys and Pegula are staples at the Charleston Open, so too is former champion Belinda Bencic and Paula Badosa, the respective popular Swiss and Spaniard stars, who draw crowd support each time they walk onto the famed green clay.
Sakkari, Stearns and Leylah Fernandez all garnered big cheers, too, with this tennis-loving fanbase always ready to back the stories they’ve come to appreciate over the years.
9. Tennis… but with a cause
The aforementioned DXC Pro-Am charity event was a hit – and raised big dollars for Meeting Street Schools. Austin was joined by fellow legend Pam Shriver and Isner, Querrey and Johnson and other tennis stars for the event, which paired local enthusiasts with top pros for a hit-and-giggle tournament.
They netted $100,000 in total for Meeting Street, whose focus is “to empower students and families through transformative education.”
It wasn’t just the Pro-Am that gave back: Wednesday marked Special Olympics day at the tournament, with a large group of athletes attending in conjunction with the WTA Foundation.
10. So great, let’s do it again
The best part of this tournament wrapping up in 2026? We already have our dates set for 2027: March 27-April 4. Come join us! And take it from the players: You won’t regret it.
