Five-time Grand Slam quarter finalist Jessica Pegula, last year’s Wimbledon and US Open finalist Ons Jabeur, defending champion, reigning Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic and 2017 Charleston champion Daria Kasatkina are the top seeds at the Credit One Charleston Open on the green clay of South California. The Charleston event is the first WTA 500-level tournament of the 2023 clay-court season and the longest-running all-women’s tournament in the United States.
The main-draw will start in Charleston on Monday. Fifty-six players will fought for the title.
Number 1 seed Jessica Pegula receives a first-round bye and could take on Veronika Kudemertova in a potential quarter final clash.
Pegula’s section of the draw also features 2021 Charleston semifinalist and Indian Wells champion Paula Badosa, 2020 Australian Open Sofia Kenin, 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez and US rising star Alycia Parks.
Bencic won the sixth of her eight career WTA titles in Charleston last year. The Swiss player leads the second quarter of the draw. The Swiss player could face number 7 and Miami quarter finalist Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last eight.
Elina Svitolina will make her come-back from a year-long maternity leave. The Ukrainian player gave birth to her daughter Skai last October.
Svitolina will meet three-time Grand Slam quarter finalist Yulia Putintseva. The winner of this match will take on Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The second quarter features the first round match between Danielle Collins and Charleston native Shelby Rogers.
Kasatkina headlines the third quarter as the number 3 seed. The Russian player could face either 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette or 2019 Charleston champion Madison Keys.
Ons Jabeur, who finished runner-up to Bencic in last year’s final in Charleston, leads the bottom quarter of the draw. The Tunisian player is on a collision course for a potential quarter clash against former number 1 player Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka could meet 2016 Charleston champion Sloane Stephens. Jill Teichmann will clash against 17-year-old Czech rising star Linda Fruhvirtova in the most interesting first round match in the bottom quarter.
