Jessica Pegula and Yuliia Starodubtseva Secure Final Berths as Iva Jovic and Madison Keys Fall in Charleston Semi-Finals

Jessica Pegula stops Iva Jovic’s run while unseeded Starodubtseva upsets Madison Keys to set up the Charleston final. Read the full rankings and prize money update.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 6, 2026, 4:02 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Tennis365

Pegula’s Resilience Against a Rising Star

Top seed Jessica Pegula maintained her bid to become the first woman since Serena Williams to retain the Charleston Open title by overcoming a spirited challenge from Iva Jovic. The American veteran required three sets to secure a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory, marking her fourth consecutive three-set win of the tournament. Despite the loss, Jovic earned significant praise for her performance, which included earlier victories over Alycia Parks, Sofia Kenin, and Anna Kalinskaya. Pegula highlighted the teenager’s maturity and poise under pressure, noting that her mental fortitude is exceptional for a player who is only 18 years old and relatively new to the top tier of the WTA Tour.

Starodubtseva’s Unseeded Surge Continues

The tournament’s most unexpected story remains Yuliia Starodubtseva, who reached the final by dispatching the experienced Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4. Following a grueling quarter-final win over Belinda Bencic, Keys appeared to struggle with the Ukrainian’s aggressive baseline play and consistency. Starodubtseva, who had watched many of the former world No 5’s matches throughout her career, emphasized that staying solid and maintaining an offensive mindset were the keys to her success. Despite a brief late-match recovery from Keys, the unseeded Starodubtseva managed to close out the contest to secure a place in her first WTA 500 final.

Impact on the WTA Rankings

The semi-final run in Charleston has provided a slight boost to Madison Keys’ standing in the world rankings. Having defended only 60 points from the previous year, her net gain of 135 points has moved her up one position to world No 18. Conversely, Iva Jovic remains at her career-high of world No 16. Despite earning 195 points for her semi-final appearance, the WTA’s rolling 52-week system saw her drop 30 points from a tournament in Bogota 12 months ago. However, the teenager has significantly narrowed the gap between herself and world No 15 Naomi Osaka, trailing the former world No 1 by only 54 points.