World No 5 Jessica Pegula leads the 2026 Charleston Open women’s singles draw, with the American arguably the favourite to retain her title at the WTA 500 event.

Pegula defeated Sofia Kenin to lift the title on the famous green clay twelve months ago, and enters this year’s event in fine form — with the American third in the WTA Race to Riyadh and one of the most consistent players of the season to date.

The 32-year-old is the top seed in Charleston and could become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to successfully defend the title at the event.

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Like all 16 seeds in the draw, Pegula receives a bye in the opening round, and will start her campaign in round two against either Yulia Putintseva or Lulu Sun.

The American is then projected to face 14th seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto in round three, before a hypothetical quarter-final against seventh seed Diana Shnaider.

Rising star Shnaider has not been in her best form in 2026, and faces a tricky draw, with a potential match against Eva Lys in round two and ninth seed Leylah Fernandez in round three.

Should Pegula reach the semi-final, she is projected to face fourth seed and compatriot Iva Jovic, one of the hottest prospects in American tennis.

Jovic could face compatriot Alycia Parks in round two and is then expected to face 16th seed and 2025 finalist Kenin in round three — though the 16th seed enters Charleston on an eight-match losing streak.

The fourth seed is then projected to face eighth seed Anna Kalinskaya before a hypothetical semi-final against Pegula, though 10th seed Maria Sakkari is also in this quarter of the draw.

The bottom half of the draw is led by world No 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova, who is the second seed following the withdrawal of Amanda Anisimova.

However, the bottom half of the draw is absolutely stacked, and Alexandrova could face in-form 15th seed Hailey Baptiste as early as round three.

Alexandrova is then projected to face sixth seed Elise Mertens in the quarter-final, before a projected semi-final against third seed Belinda Bencic — a player who will overtake her in the WTA Rankings come Monday.

A Charleston champion in 2022 and finalist in 2023, Bencic is projected to face either Anastasia Zakharova or Dayana Yastremska in round two, before a potential third-round clash against 13th seed Sara Beljek.

However, she could then face another former Charleston champion in the quarter-final, in the form of fifth seed and 2019 winner Madison Keys.

Keys has struggled for form in 2026 but can never be discounted, and will start her campaign against either Ajla Tomljanovic or a qualifier.

The American is then set to face 11th seed Magdalena Frech in round three before a projected quarter-final against Bencic.

Charleston Open projected quarter-final line-up

(1) Jessica Pegula vs (7) Diana Shnaider
(4) Iva Jovic vs (8) Anna Kalinskaya
(5) Madison Keys vs (3) Belinda Bencic
(6) Elise Mertens vs (2) Ekaterina Alexandrova

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