CHARLESTON, S.C./WASHINGTON (by Michael Dickens)
The Credit One Charleston Open, North America’s largest women’s-only tennis tournament, announced its preliminary main draw field on Friday, including two of its five wild cards. This year’s tournament field of the WTA 500 series event on green clay is packed solid with seven Grand Slam champions, five Top 10 players and four former Charleston Open champions.
When the tournament commences next month, from April 2-10, it will also mark the 50th year of the tournament and the debut of the newly renovated Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C.
This #GrandSlam champ will make her #CHS debut in a few weeks. ✨ We can’t wait to welcome World No. 4 @iga_swiatek to the @CreditOneBank #CharlestonOpen! The Polish player has proven she’s a pro on clay & we’re excited to watch her compete on our court for the 1st time in April. pic.twitter.com/LRoO9v3gRi
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) March 8, 2022
Among the highlights of the preliminary main draw include:
• Seven Grand Slam champions, led by 2020 Roland Garros titlist Iga Swiatek, who at World No. 4 is at the top of the player field. The 20-year-old from Poland will be making her Charleston debut. The other former Grand Slam champions entered include: Garbiñe Muguruza, Sloane Stephens, Jelena Ostapenko, Petra Kvitova and Sofia Kenin, who was awarded a wild card entry.
• There are five Top-10 players in the field, led by Swiatek, No. 7 Paula Badosa, No. 8 Karolina Pliskova, No. 9 Muguruza and No. 10 Ons Jabeur.
• There are three former World No. 1 players: Muguruza, Pliskova and Simona Halep.
• There are four past Charleston Open champions: Veronika Kudermetova (2021), Madison Keys (2019), Stephens (2016), and Andrea Petkovic (2014).
The nine-day Credit One Charleston Open will showcase a singles draw of 56 players, made up of 43 direct entries, plus five wild cards and eight qualifiers. Besides Kenin, current NCAA women’s singles champion Emma Navarro, a Charleston native who plays for the University of Virginia, has also received a wild card entry. Three additional wild cards will be named at a later date. The preliminary main draw currently includes 11 American players. Among them are: World No. 11 Danielle Collins, No. 19 Jessica Pegula and No. 29 Keys.
Here are the @CreditOneBank @CharlestonOpen main draw field highlights:
7️⃣Grand Slam champs 🏆
5️⃣ top 10 players ⭐️
4️⃣ past #CharlestonOpen champs 🌴
3️⃣ former World No. 1 ranked singles players 🥇
9️⃣ Charleston player field debuts 🙌
🌎 International field + 11 Americans 🇺🇸— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) March 11, 2022
When Swiatek was asked this week by reporters in Indian Wells why she decided to begin her clay season in Charleston, the week after the Miami Open, the Polish star said: “I just wanted to see Charleston, basically. After the clay season last year, I was kind of annoyed that I only played three tournaments on clay and it didn’t seem like a lot. So this year I wanted to try to play more. We’re planning to play everything but we’re going to see how my body is going to cope and if we’re going to prepare properly. Doing that the smart way is the most important thing.”
The Credit One Charleston Open will welcome back fans for the first time since 2019. The modernized Credit One Stadium, first built 20 years ago, will offer fans upgraded seating options and there will be elevated hospitality experiences for patrons and players.
Tickets and packages can be purchased on line at creditonecharlestonopen.com or by telephone at (843) 856-7900.
