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A Cubist interpretation of the high-stakes second-round clash between defending champion Madison Keys and challenger Donna Vekic at the 2026 Charleston Open.charleston TodayFifth seed Madison Keys will begin her 2026 Charleston Open campaign with a second-round match against Donna Vekic. Keys, the 2019 Charleston champion, holds a 4-1 lead over Vekic and enters the match in better form having reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane and Adelaide earlier this year.
why it matters
Keys is looking to defend her Charleston Open title and carry momentum into the clay court season, while Vekic is looking to overcome her recent struggles and pull off an upset against the higher-ranked American.
Description
Keys received a bye into the first round, while Vekic has already played three matches, winning her qualifying round and her first-round main draw match against Ajla Tomljanovic. Keys has an 8-5 win-loss record so far in 2026, with quarter-final appearances in Brisbane and Adelaide, while Vekic has struggled with early exits at several events this season.
- The second round match between Keys and Vekic will take place on April 1, 2026.
- Keys won the Charleston Open title in 2019.
players
madison keys
The fifth-seeded American player is the defending champion at the Charleston Open, having won the title in 2019.
Donna Vekic
The Croatian has a 1-4 head-to-head record against Keys and is looking to cause an upset in the second round of the Charleston Open.
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what are they saying
“I’m really looking forward to defending my title here in Charleston. It’s one of my favorite events on tour and I always enjoy playing in front of the great fans here.”
– Madison Keys
what will happen next
The winner of the Keys-Vekic match will advance to the third round of the Charleston Open.
takeaway
The second-round clash between fifth-seeded Keys and lower-ranked Vekic will test Keys’ ability to defend her Charleston Open title as she looks to build momentum on clay ahead of the French Open.
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