Miami Open champion Danielle Collins and Sloane Stephens were victorious in the first round of the Charleston Open on Tuesday. Collins, who has announced that this season will be her last due to battling endometriosis, a condition affecting the uterus, defeated Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-4 on the clay courts.
Collins expressed her desire to end her career on a high note, stating, 'I'd rather like to go out with a bang, you know, than the other way. I know everybody has a different way of ending their professional career, and for me, I want to go out playing my best tennis.'
Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, showcased her skills by beating Magdalena Frech 6-0, 6-2. She shared her fondness for clay courts, describing them as her favorite surface. 'It's more athletic. It's more running, more sliding, just a lot more adversity I feel like, but in a good way. When you think the point is over, it's never over,' Stephens remarked.
Additionally, third-seeded Maria Sakkari secured a victory in her second-round match, defeating Viktoriya Tomova 6-3, 6-3.
Other early winners on Tuesday included Taylor Townsend, Astra Sharma, Caroline Dolehide, Ashlyn Krueger, and Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Top-seeded Jessica Pegula was scheduled to play later on Tuesday against Amanda Anisimova.
