Former Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Belinda Bencic to Play 2026 Tournament
World. No 11 and 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Belinda Bencic joins strong Charleston field featuring four top 15 players
After ending the 2024 season ranked World No. 913, Belinda Bencic has climbed her way back into a top spot on the WTA Tour and now enters the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open, North America’s largest women’s-only professional tennis event, ranked World No. 11. Her remarkable return was recognized with the Comeback Player of the Year award from the WTA. Bencic played her last WTA match in September 2023 before stepping away to welcome her daughter in 2024. She returned to the tour at the end of that year and quickly found her footing again, winning her ninth career title in Abu Dhabi – just her fourth tour-level event since making her comeback – and eventually her 10th in Tokyo.
The 28-year-old Swiss player is the 2022 Charleston Open champion and a 2021 Olympic gold medalist. She will join World No. 6 Jessica Pegula, World No. 7 Madison Keys, and World No. 15 Emma Navarro in Charleston for the 54th edition of the tournament, set for March 28 – April 5, 2026.
As the kickoff event of the WTA Hologic Tour’s clay season, the 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 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.
Bencic’s 2025 season included two titles in Abu Dhabi and Tokyo, along with semifinal runs at Wimbledon and quarterfinal appearances in Indian Wells, Ningbo and Hong Kong.
“We look forward to welcoming Belinda back to Charleston next year,” said Bob Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “Belinda has been an important part of this tournament’s history, and her success on the green clay speaks for itself. Her return to the tour after welcoming her daughter and stepping back into competition with such resilience has been truly inspiring. Having a past champion and someone who exemplifies both athletic excellence and personal determination compete in the Credit One Charleston Open again adds depth and excitement to an already strong field.”
Bencic has competed in the Charleston field eight times, compiling an 18–7 record. Her breakthrough moments at the tournament include a semifinal run as a teenager in 2014 and back-to-back finals against Ons Jabeur in 2022 and 2023, capturing the title in 2022.
“The Charleston Open has always been a tournament I truly love playing,” said Bencic. “I’ve had great success there over the years, from my first ever WTA Tour semifinal as a teenager to winning the title, those moments have meant so much to me in my career. The fans in Charleston are incredible, and the atmosphere there is something special. I’m really looking forward to coming back in 2026.”
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, including the Intro Package and MUSC Family Weekend Package. Packages provide exclusive and premier views of the court, as well as the best value on tickets. 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.
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