2025 CHARLESTON CHAMPION JESSICA PEGULA TO DEFEND TITLE
World No. 5 and nine-time WTA champion Jessica Pegula joins the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open player field alongside World No. 7 Madison Keys
2025 Charleston champion and World No. 5 Jessica Pegula will return to defend her title at the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open, North America’s largest women’s-only professional tennis tournament. The nine-time WTA title winner added three trophies to her resume this year, each on a different surface: Austin (hard), Charleston (clay) and Bad Homburg (grass). She will be joined by World No. 8 and defending Australian Open champion Madison Keys at the tournament, set for March 28 – April 5, 2026, on Daniel Island in Charleston, SC.
In addition to her titles, Pegula reached the finals in Adelaide, Miami and Wuhan and the semifinals in New York (US Open) and Beijing during a standout 2025 season that earned her a fourth consecutive qualification for the WTA Finals. In total, she currently holds an impressive 50-19 win-loss record this year.
As the kickoff event of the WTA Hologic 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 and 2024. In April, Credit One Bank extended its title partnership of the Credit One Charleston Open through 2031 and announced the tournament will offer equal prize money beginning in 2026, a historic milestone for the event. This move reflects the bank’s belief that women athletes deserve equal investment and opportunity, and further cements Charleston’s role as a leader on the Hologic WTA Tour. With this announcement, the Credit One Charleston Open becomes the first standalone WTA 500 tournament to voluntarily increase prize money to match comparable ATP 500 events.
“We are proud to welcome Jessie Pegula back to Charleston as our defending champion,” said Bob Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “Jess spent time training here early in her career, and it’s been incredibly special to watch her grow into one of the game’s top competitors. She’s not only earned her place among the world’s best, but she’s also earned the admiration of our fans, who have supported her journey every step of the way. Her return adds something truly meaningful to next year’s tournament.”
Pegula will compete in the Charleston main draw for the eighth time. She holds a 16–6 win-loss record and was a two-time semifinalist (2023 and 2024) before capturing the title in 2025.
“Coming back to Charleston for the Credit One Charleston Open means a lot to me. I’ve always loved playing there — the city, the fans, the energy — it just makes the experience so positive for us players. After being a semifinalist in both 2023 and 2024, finally breaking through and winning the title in 2025 was such a special career moment. The crowd support that week made it even more unforgettable, and I’m really excited to be back and compete in front of these amazing fans again at a tournament I love.”
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.
Ticket packages are available for purchase at creditonecharlestonopen.com/ticket-packages or by calling (843) 856-7900. For additional information, please email info@creditonestadium.com or visit creditonecharlestonopen.com.
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