Top seed Jessica Pegula faces Yuliia Starodubtseva in the final of the 2026 Charleston Open. The ever-consistent American has overcome a number of tough challenges to reach the final of the first clay-court event of the year. Starodubtseva has been in excellent form in Charleston, defeating Madison Keys and McCartney Kessler en route to the final.
Jessica Pegula vs. Yuliia Starodubtseva: Match Details
Date: April 5, 2026
Tournament: Charleston Open 2026
Round: Final
Venue: LTP-Daniel Island, Charleston, S.C.
Surface: Outdoor clay
Category: WTA 500
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, TSN
Pegula vs. Starodubtseva: Head-to-Head History
This will be the first-ever meeting between these two players. Pegula, the defending champion, will go into the final as the favorite, amid her excellent form on the WTA Tour. She has made at least the quarterfinals of every singles event she has competed in so far this year and will look to clinch her second title of 2026 on Sunday.
Pegula has needed three sets to win all four of her matches so far in South Carolina and had to dig deep to claim a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win over Iva Jović in the semifinals. But she continues to find a way and will have her sights set on successfully retaining her Charleston Open title.
Starodubtseva will be playing in her first WTA Tour final on Sunday. But she has certainly earned her spot in the final with excellent performances all week long. She defeated Keys 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals, countering the American’s aggressive approach expertly.
The 26-year-old has been excellent on her return in Charleston, converting 26 break-point opportunities so far. She will be the underdog in the final but has the tools to pull off an upset against Pegula.
Pegula vs. Starodubtseva: Match Prediction
Pegula has had to work much harder than she would have liked so far in Charleston. But her ability to find a way and grind out wins is what makes her one of the most dominant forces on the WTA Tour.
The American’s high tennis IQ and baseline game make her well-suited to clay-court conditions, even if she hasn’t always found the consistency on the surface.
Starodubtseva has only dropped one set so far in Charleston and will be full of confidence after a dominant win against Keys. Fatigue may also become an issue for the Ukrainian with the added pressure of competing in a first-ever WTA Tour final.
After a breakout run in Charleston, Starodubtseva will be eager to cap it off with a title. Her best chance will be to start well and tire out her opponent, who has already spent more than 11 hours on the court so far this week.
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But we are backing Pegula to use her big-match experience and ability to shine when the going gets tough to successfully retain her title.
Pick – Pegula in two sets.
