CHARLESTON, S.C./WASHINGTON, December 20, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic will return to the Credit One Charleston Open next April, entering the event ranked World No. 11 after completing one of the most notable comebacks on the WTA Tour this year.
The former Charleston Open champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist was named the WTA’s 2025 Comeback Player of the Year following her return to competition after welcoming her daughter.
Bencic joins a strong field for the 54th edition of the WTA 500 event, which will take place from March 28 to April 5, at Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
After ending the 2024 season ranked 913th in the world, Bencic has climbed her way back into the WTA Top 20 and enters the largest North American women’s-only professional tennis event currently ranked World No. 11. Her 2025 season included a pair of titles, in Abu Dhabi and Tokyo, along with a semifinal run at Wimbledon, and quarterfinal appearances in Indian Wells, Ningbo and Hong Kong.
Olympic Gold Medalist and 10-time WTA titlist @BelindaBencic will compete at the Credit One Charleston Open in 2026 following a remarkable climb from World No. 421 to World No. 11.
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) December 19, 2025
“We look forward to welcoming Belinda back to Charleston next year,” said Bob Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment, in a release. “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.”
The 28-year-old Swiss player won the 2022 Charleston Open title and was a finalist the following year, after winning the 2021 Olympic gold in Tokyo. She’s competed in the Charleston field eight times, compiling a 18-7 win-loss record. She will join World No. 6 Jessica Pegula, World No. 7 Madison Keys and World No. 15 Emma Navarro, all from the United States.
“The Charleston Open has always been a tournament I truly love playing,” Bencic said in a statement. “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 biggest honor https://t.co/UkZOwnNJAm
— Credit One Charleston Open (@CharlestonOpen) December 17, 2025
As the kickoff event of the WTA Tour’s spring clay season, the Charleston Open has been named the WTA 500 Tournament of the Year each of the past four years – 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Earlier this year, Credit One Bank extended its title partnership of the Credit One Charleston Oopen through 2031 and announced the tournament will offer equal prize money beginning in 2026, a historic milestone for the event. The Credit One Charleston Open will be the first stand-alone WTA 500 tournament to voluntarily increase prize money to match comparable ATP 500 events.
