The 54th edition of the Credit One Charleston Open is set to begin on March 30th and it is the first WTA 500 tournament of the 2026 clay-court swing. It is the only event on the tennis calendar that is played on green clay and takes place at the Family Circle Tennis Center on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina.
Defending champion Jessica Pegula and compatriot Amanda Anisimova are the only Top 10 players to sign up for the event. They will be joined in a very strong field by former Grand Slam champions Madison Keys and Jelena Ostapenko. In addition, the tournament organizers have finalized the wild card list well in advance and that includes four players.
Charleston Open: Four Players Receive Wild Cards
Canada’s Bianca Andreescu is the first wild card entrant. The 2019 US Open champion has never played in this tournament and is set to make her debut in 2026. Andreescu has played nine matches on clay this season at the ITF level and owns an 8-1 record.
Joining Andreescu in the main draw will be World No. 100 Paula Badosa. The Spaniard has endured her own struggles with injuries and mental health and dropped to her lowest ranking in seven years earlier this month. Badosa is a former semifinalist at the Charleston Open, but lost in the second round in her last appearance two seasons ago.
Precisely a decade since her title win in Charleston, Sloane Stephens will enter the 2026 edition as a wild card. The 33-year-old fell outside the Top 500 in the rankings and has won just once in the main draw this season.
Completing the list of wild cards is the fit-again American Jennifer Brady, who made her long-awaited return to action this January. Brady has made two appearances in Charleston in the past, but has not won a main draw match in this tournament.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
