Putintseva Wins in Charleston, Will Face Defending Champ Pegula

Kazakh player defeats New Zealand's Sun in straight sets to advance at WTA event.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 5:32am

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Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva defeated New Zealand's Lulu Sun in straight sets, 7-6(6), 6-2, in the first round of the Charleston Open tennis tournament on Monday. Putintseva will now face defending champion Jessica Pegula in the next round.

Why it matters

The Charleston Open is a prestigious WTA tournament that attracts top women's tennis players from around the world. Putintseva's victory sets up an intriguing matchup against the defending champion, Pegula, who is one of the rising stars on the women's tour.

The details

Putintseva won a tight first set tiebreaker 7-6(6) before cruising in the second set 6-2 to defeat Sun and advance to the next round. The Kazakh player will now face American Jessica Pegula, the defending Charleston Open champion, in the next match.

  • The match took place on Monday, March 31, 2026.
  • Putintseva and Pegula will face off in the next round.

The players

Yulia Putintseva

A professional tennis player from Kazakhstan who is currently ranked in the top 20 on the WTA tour.

Lulu Sun

A professional tennis player from New Zealand who was Putintseva's opponent in the first round match.

Jessica Pegula

The defending champion of the Charleston Open and one of the top-ranked American women's tennis players.

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What they’re saying

“I'm really happy with how I played today and I'm looking forward to the next match against Jessica.”

— Yulia Putintseva

What’s next

Putintseva and Pegula will face off in the next round of the Charleston Open, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The takeaway

Putintseva's victory sets up an intriguing matchup between two of the WTA tour's rising stars, as she will now take on the defending champion Pegula in the next round of the Charleston Open.