Top Charleston seeds talk with the media

clockwise, from top: Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula, Victoria Azarenka, Elina Svitolina, Maria Sakkari, Beatriz Haddad Maia. Center: Ons Jabeur (all photos by Daniel Ward)

Seven of the top seeds participated in Media Day at the Credit One Charleston Open today, and they talked about everything from adjusting to clay courts to motherhood to their love of the tournament, as well as mental health, living in the now, and--a boat named Ons.

Emma Navarro told us that “Coming back this year, I feel like I’ve really earned my spot.” The 10th seed said that she felt like she had a level to work toward, and “I kind of took a slower approach, a slower and more gradual approach.”

“From the outside," she said, "it may seem like it happened overnight,..." but it was a deliberate progression, and one which has made her feel comfortable. Navarro said that she and her coach have taken this approach since she was 12, with her mastering one step before moving to the next.

She added that winning a title has boosted her confidence, and--while it's not her favorite thing--she's leaning into being more in the spotlight.

I am a very fighting girl.

Wild card Beatriz Haddad Maia told us about how nice it was to stay with a local family when she was in Charleston before, and she is still in touch wih that family. The Brazilian, famous for her long three-set matches, said that "I am a very fighting girl.... “I try to not think in the fatigue…I try not to expend energy on other things." Haddad Maia said that she is working on being "more constant in matches."

Vika Azarenka talked about her fondness for the tournament, and about her activism for mothers on the tour. Not all of them, she explained, have her level of financial security and they need support. She also talked about her son, who is now old enough to appreciate tennis, and how she wants to model for him the degree of hard work that is required if one is to be a serious athlete. 

Azarenka  also called for more empathy online and in general public discourse. 

She revealed that she not only refuses to look at the draw, but that she refuses to participate in any WTA draw ceremony, saying that she will do anything to help the tour except for that. “I actually despise the projections of people who are doing it…most of the time they’re wrong.” The two-time Australian Open champion said that she wants to live in the now, and she can't do that if she's looking ahead at the names of her upcoming opponents.

Jess Pegula told us that she has been working on her serve this year. She, too, talked about how much the tournament means to her, Pegula said that players are eager to give back to the event because they are so appreciative of it. And while--in some ways--the Charleston Open is a "home" event for her, she said that she also feels at home in several other locations because she has moved around so much.

Maria Sakkari told us that she likes the green clay as a transitional surface—it's like a hard court, but there is still sliding and having to be more patient. Each player was asked to report a question that they had never been asked by the media. All (but one) of them struggled with this topic, and Sakkari thought about it, rambled a bit, then told the questioner "I'll get back to you--you're here for a few days? It's a deal!"

It's not always good days....

The one player who was quick to answer the question about the unasked question was Elina Svitolina. It didn't take her long to say that she wished that more questions were asked about players' mental health. "It's not always good days...for the players," she added.

Like those before her, Switolina was quick to praise the Credit One Charleston Open, saying that she has "great memories from the amazing organization of this tournament." She also praised the Charleston crowds for their enthusiasm--not just for big matches, but even for practice sessions. "Players," she said, "are happy to be here."

Svitolina also talked about the challenges of playing on clay. "You have to always be on the front foot, " she explained, because there is "no room for a misstep." 

Asked what she--a very busy woman--does in her spare time, Svitolina answered that "I always try to use it in a beneficial way for me. I like to learn new things and discover something that I'm not good in." The Ukrainian star watches educational videos and research videos so that she can learn things that can help her with tennis, with managing her foundations, and "to be a good mom."  

Finally, we heard from defending champion Ons Jabeur. Fans may recall that, in 2022, Jabeur said that if she won the tournament, she wanted to do the photo shoot at Cypress Gardens because of its prominent place in the book and film, The Notebook. Jabeur came close that year--she made it to the final, but lost the title to Belinda Bencic. Last year, Jabeur won (with Bencic taking home the runner-up trophy), but there was no time for a Cypress Gardens photo shoot.

What should be done, she was asked, if she defends her title this year? Her latest Cypress Gardens idea? Name a boat the Credit One Ons Jabeur! 

It turns out that the Tunisian star visited the gardens on Saturday and may make another visit before she leaves Charleston, a city in which she said she would consider living. "When I play here, I feel amazing because the crowd, they bring something out in me."

Asked what--given the context of her injury-riddled season--it feels like to be the defending champion, Jabeur revealed that "With what's happened lately--doesn't help much."

And when asked if she has expectations for the clay season, Jabeur replied, "I hate expectations."  She added, though, that she thinks that the surface will be better for her injured knee than the hard courts have been this year. She also said that she's having "excellent practices."