Kessler dynamite, Stearns sous pression

Peyton Stearns, 24 years old, United States, world No. 46, right-handed. Two WTA titles to her name, including one on clay in Rabat in 2024, and a semifinal in Rome in 2025 with wins over Keys, Osaka, and Svitolina. She comes into Charleston with a solid 2026 season at 12–8 and a hard-court title in Austin in March. But yesterday against Krueger, the tennis just wasn’t there. She was on the back foot, took advantage of her opponent’s double faults, and scraped through two tight sets without ever really taking control. A default win that leaves doubts about her true form on this surface this Thursday.

McCartney Kessler, 26 years old, United States, world No. 53, right-handed. WTA titles in Hobart and Nottingham in 2025, an aggressive player who hits hard and fast and fully embraces her tennis without complexes. Her WTA clay record before this week was anecdotal, 0 wins for 5 losses, but Har-Tru clearly suits her. Her first-serve accuracy at 70.1% this week, her 86.4% of service games won, and above all her assertive body language on court give the impression of a player who has found herself on this surface. Yesterday she took care of Tjen without blinking while Stearns was struggling.

The 52-week clay stats rate Stearns as the better clay player, with match efficiency at 2.077 versus 1.024, tiebreaks at 100% versus 75%. But these numbers don’t capture the momentum of the week or the fact that Stearns didn’t produce her best tennis yesterday. Kessler, for her part, creates more break points on clay, 0.96 per game versus 0.90, and her first-serve return this week at 46.8% compared with 39.2% for Stearns shows that she attacks the opponent’s serve right from the start of the rally. The fast Har-Tru shortens rallies and specifically favors Kessler’s heavy-hitting style against a clay-courter who needs rhythm and confidence to fully express her game.