Category Premier Draw 56M/32Q/16D | Surface Green Clay / outdoors | |
Founded 1973; 44 years ago (1973) Location Charleston, South Carolina
United States Venue Family Circle Tennis Center | ||
The Charleston Open (currently sponsored by Volvo and called the Volvo Car Open) is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1973. It is the oldest professional women's tournament with a $750,000 purse. The tournament is played on the green clay courts at the Family Circle Tennis Center (which contains the 10,200-seat Volvo Car Stadium) on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. From its inception in 1973 to 2000, the tournament was held at the Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island with the exception of 1975 and 1976 when it was played on Amelia Island off the coast of Florida. It moved to Charleston in 2001.
From 1990 to 2008, the tournament was classified as a WTA Tier I event. In 2009, it was downgraded to a WTA Premier tournament. It celebrated its 40th year in 2012 by naming the court in honor of Billie Jean King.
The current champion is Sloane Stephens, who won the singles tournament in April 2016.