Sloane Stephens and Maria Sakkari commit to play 2024 Charleston Open
Dec 09, 2023
Maria Sakkari and Sloane Stephens have committed to the 2024 Credit One Charleston Open, the largest women’s-only professional tennis tournament in North America, March 30 - April 7, 2024 on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina. Named WTA 500 Tournament of the Year, the Charleston Open is the annual clay season kickoff event on the Hologic WTA Tour and is hosted at the newly renovated and modernized Credit One Stadium.
Sakkari ended her WTA season ranked within the top 10 for the third year in a row. Stephens is the 2016 Charleston champion and 2017 US Open champion. They join World No. 5 Jessica Pegula, World No. 6 and 2023 Charleston champion Ons Jabeur and World No. 12 and 2019 Charleston champion Madison Keys in next year’s player field.
Above: Maria Sakkari. Photo provided courtesy of Credit One Charleston Open.
“We have an incredible field of tennis champions already committed to play in Charleston next year and ticket sales and demand for 2024 continue to outperform previous records,” said Bob Moran, Tournament Director of the Credit One Charleston Open and President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “Maria had a strong 2023 season and delivered impressive results throughout the year. We are excited to welcome her back to Charleston after a brief hiatus and we know our fans are eager to watch one of the Netflix Break Point stars compete on our green clay. Sloane is a beloved fan favorite at our tournament and continues to do remarkable work both on the court and through her foundation. She’s developed a huge base of devoted attendees in Charleston!”
Sakkari is currently ranked World No. 9 and is the first Greek woman to break into the top 10. She reached the semifinals or better at eight tournaments this year, including Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid and Washington D.C., and captured the biggest title of her career in Guadalajara. For the third consecutive year, she qualified for the WTA Finals, and is the only player from Greece to ever compete in the season-ending tournament. She is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, reaching the final four at the 2021 French and US Opens.
The 2024 Credit One Charleston Open will be Sakkari’s third time in the field. She made the quarterfinals in her last appearance in 2019.
“I am really looking forward to competing again in Charleston after my last time there five years ago,” said Sakkari. “I played well on the green clay and really enjoyed the tournament’s laid back atmosphere. I would love to lift the Charleston trophy next spring!”
Stephens holds seven WTA career titles, including her maiden Grand Slam at the US Open. She was a 2018 French Open finalist and has been ranked as high as World No. 3. This season, the American reached the quarterfinals in Mérida, Austin and Cleveland and the semifinals in Rabat.
Stephens has competed in the Charleston field ten times and holds a 12-9 record. She won the tournament title in 2016 and reached the quarterfinals round in 2019 and 2021.
“Charleston is absolutely one of my favorite stops on tour and I look forward to the tournament every year. The event always has amazing crowds and I can’t wait to be back again in April,” said Stephens.
Above: Sloane Stephens. Photo provided courtesy of Credit One Charleston Open.
The nine-day Credit One Charleston Open showcases a singles draw of 48 players, a qualifying draw of 24 players, and a doubles draw of 16 players. The event traditionally hosts more than 90,000 attendees on Daniel Island.
Charleston Tennis, LLC, which manages Credit One Stadium under a lease from the City of Charleston, recently renovated and modernized the 20-year-old facility. The city-owned venue underwent upgrades to enhance the stadium experience for patrons, performers, tennis players and event management, allowing the venue to attract world-class athletes and talent to Daniel Island.
The Credit One Charleston Open celebrated its 50th year, and for the first time in tournament history, was recognized as the WTA 500 event of the year in 2022. The tournament has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports since 1973, paving the path for female tennis players to receive equal recognition, respect and pay in the sport. Originally held on Hilton Head Island, the event moved to Charleston in 2001 and is played on Daniel Island at the LTP Daniel Island tennis center, home to the Credit One Stadium.
Tickets and packages can be purchased online at creditonecharlestonopen.com or by calling (843) 856-7900. For additional information, please email tickets@charlestontennisllc.com.
For additional information, please email tickets@charlestontennisllc.com. For more information on the Credit One Charleston Open, visit creditonecharlestonopen.com or call 843-856-7900.
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Source: Credit One Charleston Open