Credit One Charleston Open Announces Main Draw Wild Cards Featuring Grand Slam Champions and Finalists and Former Top Five Players
Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens, Paula Badosa and Jennifer Brady have accepted wild cards into the 2026 Charleston Open player field
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Credit One Charleston Open, North America’s largest women’s-only professional tennis tournament, has released its wild cards for the 2026 event, taking place March 28 – April 5 on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina. Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens, Paula Badosa and Jennifer Brady have accepted main draw wild cards and join a player field now featuring 11 top-25 players, 13 Americans, five Grand Slam champions and four former Charleston champions. As the kickoff event of the clay season on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, the tournament was recently named the WTA 500 Tournament of the Year for the fourth consecutive year.
“This group of wild cards adds even more depth and excitement to an already strong field,” said Bob Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “Bianca, Sloane, Paula and Jen are beloved and accomplished players who have each worked their way back from lengthy injuries, and we’re happy to welcome them to Charleston as they return to form. We know our fans will be excited to see them back on court and ready for competition.”
US Open champion Bianca Andreescu will make her Charleston debut in 2026. She won three singles titles in 2019 – the US Open, Toronto and Indian Wells – and rose as high as World No. 4 in the rankings. Her first WTA Tour event since October 2025 came at the end of February in Austin as she continues her return to form following injuries.
Stephens captured the Charleston singles title in 2016 and the doubles title in 2024. She has been ranked as high as World No. 3 and owns eight career titles, including the 2017 US Open. This marks her 12th appearance in Charleston, where she is a former champion and two-time quarterfinalist. After battling injuries and competing in only six events in 2025, Stephens is steadily working her way back onto the tour in 2026.
Former World No. 2 Badosa holds four WTA titles, most recently winning the 2024 event in Washington, D.C. She reached the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open and the quarterfinals of the 2024 US Open. This will be her fifth appearance in Charleston, where she owns a 9-4 record and reached the semifinals in 2021 and the quarterfinals in 2022 and 2023. Badosa continues her return following an injury-plagued 2025 season.
Jennifer Brady was the 2021 Australian Open finalist and the 2020 Lexington champion. She returned to competition in Austin in February 2026, her first tournament since Beijing in October 2023. Brady is also a US Open semifinalist and was part of the UCLA women’s tennis team that won NCAA Division 1 Women’s tennis National Championship. This will be her third appearance in Charleston, though she has served as a tournament ambassador for the past three years, hosting clinics, talk shows and fan meet-and-greets throughout the event.
The wild cards join a field headlined by World No. 5 and 2025 Charleston champion Jessica Pegula, World No. 6 and two-time 2025 Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova, and World No. 11 and two-time Charleston semifinalist Ekaterina Alexandrova. Also competing are World No. 12, 2020 Olympic gold medalist and 2022 Charleston champion Belinda Bencic; World No. 17 and 2025 Guadalajara champion Iva Jovic; World No. 18, 2025 Australian Open champion and 2019 Charleston champion Madison Keys; World No. 20 and 2025 Monterrey champion Diana Shnaider; and World No. 27, Lowcountry standout and 2025 Merida champion Emma Navarro.
Stephens joins former champions Pegula, Keys and Bencic in the 2026 Charleston field.
To round out the field, six players will earn entry into the main draw via qualifying competition. 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 attracts more than 90,000 attendees each year on Daniel Island.
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 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.
The Credit One Charleston Open has launched its Fan Hub, a centralized destination for all on-site experiences and tournament happenings. Beyond world-class tennis, fans can enjoy nine days of elevated dining, theme nights, live music and interactive programming, highlighted by the debut of a new eatery on-site, The Kitchen, and a signature Oyster Roast on Saturday, March 28, featuring all-you-can-eat oysters during qualifying weekend. Special event tickets are on sale now at creditonecharlestonopen.com or by calling (843) 856-7900, in addition to a variety of single-session and package options available. 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.
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.
