18-Year-Old American Iva Jovic to Make Credit One Charleston Open Debut

Jovic’s addition marks sixth Top 20 players in the 2026 Charleston field

CHARLESTON, S.C. –  Eighteen-year-old American Iva Jovic will make her debut at the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open, North America’s largest women’s-only professional tennis tournament, taking place March 28 – April 5, 2026, in Charleston, S.C.

Currently ranked World No. 20, Jovic has climbed steadily up the WTA rankings over the past eight months. She broke into the Top 100 and then the Top 50 after capturing her first WTA title in Guadalajara in September 2025. Most recently, she advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2026 Australian Open, rising into the Top 20 for the first time in her career.

She joins fellow Top 20 players Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Belinda Bencic, Madison Keys and Emma Navarro in the Charleston Open player field for the tournament’s 54th edition, set to take place at Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island. 

“I’m excited to be playing Charleston for the first time. It’s a tournament with a lot of tennis history, and I’m looking forward to competing there next month,” said Jovic. “I’ve been building my game this year, week after week, and I’m focused on bringing a high level of tennis into my clay season.”

At just 17 years old, Jovic captured her maiden WTA title in Guadalajara in only her 10th tour-level main draw appearance, reaching her first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz quarterfinal, semifinal and final en route to the win. She became the youngest player to win a WTA title since Coco Gauff in Parma in 2021. This season, she advanced to the semifinal in Auckland, the final in Hobart and the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

“We are proud to welcome Iva to Charleston for the first time,” said Bob Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “At the Credit One Charleston Open, we are committed to showcasing the next generation of talent in women’s tennis, and Iva represents the future of American tennis. Her rapid rise on the WTA Tour over the past year, highlighted by her first WTA title and a breakthrough run at the Australian Open, reflects both her work ethic and competitive drive. We look forward to seeing her compete on the green clay and to introducing our fans to one of the game’s emerging young talents.”

In 2024, Jovic made her US Open debut after earning a main draw singles wildcard by winning the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships, and went on to secure her first Grand Slam main draw victory, becoming the youngest American to win a women’s main draw match at the US Open since 2000. Earlier that same year, she claimed two junior Grand Slam titles in girls’ doubles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

As the kickoff event of the WTA Tour’s clay season, the Credit One Charleston Open is held annually at Credit One Stadium and was named WTA 500 Tournament of the Year in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In April, Credit One Bank extended its title partnership through 2031 and announced the tournament will offer $2.5 million in equal prize money beginning in 2026, marking a significant milestone for the event. The increase reflects the bank’s commitment to advancing investment and opportunity in women’s sports and further positions Charleston as a leader on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. With this move, the Credit One Charleston Open became the first standalone WTA 500 tournament to voluntarily raise prize money. 

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.

Charleston Tennis, LLC, which manages Credit One Stadium under a lease from the City of Charleston, renovated and modernized the 20-year-old facility in 2022. The city-owned venue underwent upgrades to enhance the stadium experience for patrons, performers, tennis players and event management, allowing the venue to attract world-class athletes and talent to Daniel Island.

The Credit One Charleston Open has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports since 1973, paving the way for female tennis players to receive equal recognition, respect and compensation in the sport. The tournament has a long history of breaking new ground in tennis, having been the first women’s tennis event to offer $100,000 in prize money in 1973 and the first to be broadcast live on network television. The inaugural champion, Rosie Casals, received a check for $30,000, which was the largest prize money payout awarded to a woman that year. Originally held on Hilton Head Island, the event relocated to Charleston in 2001 and is now played at the LTP Daniel Island tennis center, home to Credit One Stadium. 

Tickets are currently on sale at creditonecharlestonopen.com or by calling (843) 856-7900. For additional information, please email info@creditonestadium.com or visit creditonecharlestonopen.com. When purchasing tickets for the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open, patrons have the option to choose from single session tickets and a limited number of ticket packages. Special discounts are available for juniors, seniors, USTA members and military members. Juniors aged 16 and under receive complimentary general admission with the purchase of an adult ticket, courtesy of Credit One Bank.