Madison Keys Battles Past Anna Bondar at Charleston Open

The American advances to quarterfinals with a hard-fought victory over the Hungarian.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:24pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a tennis match in motion, with overlapping planes of color and form representing the dynamic back-and-forth between the two players.Madison Keys' hard-fought victory over Anna Bondar at the Charleston Open showcases the intensity and unpredictability of professional tennis.Charleston Today

Madison Keys, the former Australian Open champion, defeated Anna Bondar in a tough three-set match at the 2026 Charleston Open. While Keys took the first set comfortably, Bondar raised her level in the second set, forcing Keys to battle back from an early break down to eventually win 6-2, 7-5. Keys will now face the resurgent Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals, with the winner potentially meeting surprise semifinalists McCartney Kessler or Yuliia Starodubtseva.

Why it matters

The Charleston Open is an important clay-court tune-up event ahead of the French Open, where Keys has found success in the past. Her ability to grind out a tough win over Bondar demonstrates her determination to build momentum heading into the clay-court swing.

The details

Keys took the first set 6-2, but the second set was a much tighter affair. Bondar got an early break, but Keys fought back to level the set. The match then settled into a pattern of both players holding serve relatively easily until 5-5, when Bondar struggled with her forehand and Keys was able to break and then serve out the match.

  • The 2026 Charleston Open is taking place in early April.
  • Keys and Bondar played their third-round match on April 2, 2026.

The players

Madison Keys

A former Australian Open champion and top-5 player, Keys is currently ranked No. 18 in the world and looking to regain her form on the clay courts ahead of the French Open.

Anna Bondar

A Hungarian player who has found success in doubles at the French Open, reaching the quarterfinals twice, but has yet to make it past the first round in singles at Roland Garros.

Belinda Bencic

A resurgent Swiss player who will face Keys in the Charleston Open quarterfinals.

McCartney Kessler

A surprise quarterfinalist at the Charleston Open.

Yuliia Starodubtseva

Another surprise quarterfinalist at the Charleston Open, set to face the winner of Keys-Bencic.

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What’s next

The winner of the quarterfinal match between Keys and Bencic will face the winner of the match between surprise quarterfinalists Kessler and Starodubtseva in the semifinals.

The takeaway

Keys' ability to grind out a tough win over Bondar demonstrates her determination to build momentum on the clay courts ahead of the French Open, where she has found success in the past. However, she will need to find more consistency if she hopes to make a deep run at the upcoming clay-court events.