Preview WTA Charleston Open: Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Zheng Qinwen seeks clay-court success

The 2025 WTA 500 Charleston Open is set to begin this Monday, March 31st, marking the first clay-swing tournament of the season and the only one held in the USA on this surface. Defending champion Danielle Collins, who won her second consecutive title in 2024 by defeating Daria Kasatkina in a commanding final 6-2, 6-1, will be back to defend her title.

Our preview looks ahead to the tournament, which will be filled with stars, including three top-10 players: Jessica Pegula (No. 4), Madison Keys (No. 5), and Zheng Qinwen (No. 8), along with a total of 10 players inside the top-25. This will be the first chance of the season to watch the top women players compete on clay courts.

The top favorite for the title is world No. 4 Jessica Pegula, the recent Miami Open finalist. The American lost in straight sets to Aryna Sabalenka in the final but can draw positives from her run in Miami, with victories over rivals like Anna Kalinskaya, Emma Raducanu, Marta Kostyuk, and teenage sensation Alexandra Eala. Pegula awaits her second-round opponent, the winner between Heather Watson and Iryna Shymanovich.

Returning to the Charleston Open is 2019 champion Madison Keys (also a finalist in 2015). The world No. 5 has maintained a high level this season, and despite an early loss to Alexandra Eala at the Miami Open, the American enters with confidence, boasting an 18-2 record this year. She’ll face either Caroline Dolehide or Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round.

On the other hand, 3rd seed Zheng Qinwen appears to be regaining her form after a shaky start to the year. She reached the quarterfinals at both the Indian Wells and Miami Open, with losses to Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. While still a step away from challenging the dominance of players like Swiatek and Sabalenka, the Chinese player has proven that lower-ranked opponents don’t intimidate her. She may face Maria Sakkari in a high-stakes debut, though the Greek player must first overcome wildcard Marina Stakusic.

The 4th seed will be another American, world No. 11 Emma Navarro. After claiming her first WTA 500 title at the Merida Open in early March, she struggled with a single win and two losses in the Sunshine Double. Navarro is waiting to meet Olivia Gadecki or Hailey Baptiste. With room for improvement on clay, Charleston could be a great opportunity for her to set the course for future clay-court tournaments.

Amanda Anisimova (No. 16) will be a player to watch in the draw, following her recent victory at her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open less than two months ago. She recently ended Mirra Andreeva’s 13-match win streak but lost to Emma Raducanu in the fourth round in a match where she was not 100% physically fit.

17th seed Belinda Bencic has been one of the standout stories of the year, returning to the Tour after taking a year off in 2024. The Swiss player came back as a mother, and the positive results came quickly. She won the Abu Dhabi Open, reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, and made the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, with an 18-6 record this year and currently inside the top-12 in the WTA Race. She might face former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round and could then meet Daria Kasatkina (5th).

Kasatkina, the 27-year-old former 2017 champion (who defeated Jelena Ostapenko in the final), will be competing for her first title under the Australian flag after switching federations. She reached the final last year. Defending champion Danielle Collins (7th seed) will also be one to follow, along with Russians Diana Shnaider (6th seed), Anna Kalinskaya (14th), and Ekaterina Alexandrova (9th).