18 www.Char l e s tonWomenPodcas t . com | www.ReadCW. com | www. Ins t ag ram. com /Char l e s tonWomen Feature Credit One Charleston Open, held each April on Daniel Island at Credit One Stadium, draws some of the biggest names in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), with a roster of past champions that reads like a who’s who of the sport’s legends. That list includes Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Steffi Graf, Serena and Venus Williams, Martina Hingis and Gabriela Sabatini. The largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America, the event attracts an average of 90,000 attendees and more than 100 of the top singles and doubles tennis players to Charleston every year. In 2022, it celebrated its 50th anniversary, a year in which it was named WTA 500 Tournament of the Year, an honor that is even more gratifying when you consider that the recognition is voted on by the players. Growing women’s professional tennis into a globallywatched sport Family Circle magazine launched the event in 1973 in Hilton Head under the moniker Family Circle Cup, where BY COL IN MCCANDLESS 51 Years and Counting Credit One Charleston Open is a pioneer in women’s professional tennis Photos provided by Arielle Alpino.
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