Credit One Charleston Open – Day 7

It was another EXCITING year for me to be covering the Credit One Charleston Open!!!

Since 1973, the Charleston Open has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports, creating milestones that over the years have directly influenced the popularity of women’s professional tennis. Much has changed over the years. But to this day, the tournament remains the largest women’s only tennis tournament in North America. This year’s roster included 5 of the Top 10 women on tour, 5 past champions, and 5 Grand Slam champions. Previous winners include notable names like Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Tracy Austin, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Nadia Petrova, Madison Keys…and so many more!

With bad weather predicted for the weekend, Day 7 seemed to have an added urgency for getting great photos of the action on Credit One Stadium, fans having fun around the grounds, autograph sessions, TV appearances at the Tennis Channel desk, and VIP suite visits!  Plus I got to photograph the trophy sitting proudly on center court.  🙂

Credit One Charleston Open – Day 5

It was another EXCITING year for me to be covering the Credit One Charleston Open!!!

Since 1973, the Charleston Open has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports, creating milestones that over the years have directly influenced the popularity of women’s professional tennis. Much has changed over the years. But to this day, the tournament remains the largest women’s only tennis tournament in North America. This year’s roster included 5 of the Top 10 women on tour, 5 past champions, and 5 Grand Slam champions. Previous winners include notable names like Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Tracy Austin, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Nadia Petrova, Madison Keys…and so many more!

Day 5 of the COCO started off with a private shoot at Charleston Place Hotel with doubles specialists, Sophie Chang & Angela Kulikov, to promote pickle ball!  Then it was on to Credit One Stadium for some amazing matches, player interviews, and VIP appearances.  What a great day of tennis!!!

Credit One Charleston Open – Media Day

It was another EXCITING year for me to be covering the Credit One Charleston Open!!!

Since 1973, the Charleston Open has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports, creating milestones that over the years have directly influenced the popularity of women’s professional tennis. Much has changed over the years. But to this day, the tournament remains the largest women’s only tennis tournament in North America. This year’s roster included 5 of the Top 10 women on tour, 5 past champions, and 5 Grand Slam champions. Previous winners include notable names like Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Tracy Austin, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Nadia Petrova, Madison Keys…and so many more!

On the afternoon of Day 3, I was honored to photograph the Media Day appearances of the top-seeds and trending stars who were requested by the nations television stations and magazine jouranlists for private interviews. It was so cool being a fly-on-the-wall with the biggest stars like Shelby Rogers, Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, Madison Keys, Belinda Bencic, and Emma Navaro!

Credit One Charleston Open – Player Party

It was another EXCITING year for me to be covering the Credit One Charleston Open!!!

Since 1973, the Charleston Open has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports, creating milestones that over the years have directly influenced the popularity of women’s professional tennis. Much has changed over the years. But to this day, the tournament remains the largest women’s only tennis tournament in North America. This year’s roster included 5 of the Top 10 women on tour, 5 past champions, and 5 Grand Slam champions. Previous winners include notable names like Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Tracy Austin, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Nadia Petrova, Madison Keys…and so many more!

After 2 days of qualifying rounds, the tournament welcomes all the main draw players, as well as those who made it through qualies, to a wonderful Player Party before the competition begins. This year’s Player Party was held at the historic Riviera Theater!

VCO Media Day

It’s been 20 years since the Volvo Car Open chose Charleston as its new home!!! It’s hard to believe I’ve been the tournament’s official photographer for about 3/4 of that time. What an honor it was to see many of my photos of past champions on display!

To celebrate this milestone, the VCO hosted a Media Day at the beautiful Dewberry Hotel rooftop. Last year’s champion, Madison Keys, was a special guest…as were Mayor Tecklenburg, Tournament Director Bob Moran, Tournament Manager Eleanor Adams, Stephanie Mangini of Volvo Car USA, Helen Hill from the Charleston Visitors Bureau, and Richard Todd who is “The Voice” of the tournament. The event was hosted by America’s sweetheart, former #1 tennis player, Tracy Austin.

After the press conference, tennis demonstration, and networking luncheon, Madison and Tracy got a private tour of the new Meeting Street Academy, where Maddy shared about her new Kindness Wins initiative.

“Madison Keys has a passion for kindness. The 25-year-old American tennis star has made that passion into a mission, launching her new Kindness Wins initiative, a chance for Keys to embrace positivity and provide a platform to spread encouragement both within and outside the world of sports.”

It was a real pleasure being selected to photograph the VCO Media Day! Happy 20th Anniversary to the Volvo Car Open!!!

Charleston Corporate Photographer, Charleston Event Photographer, Charleston Meeting Photographer, Charleston Sports Photographer, Chris & Cami Photography, D5, D850, Family Circle Cup, Madison Keys, Media Day, Meeting Street Academy, Nikkor, Nikon, Nikon Pro, Nikon USA, Obviouslee Marketing, Press Conference, Professional Tennis, SB-5000, Tennis, The Dewberry, Tracy Austin, VCO, Volvo, Volvo Car Open, Women’s Tennis Association, WTA

VCO 2019 – Day 6

Semi-final Saturday at the Volvo Car Open was an absolutely thrilling

In doubles, the team of Anna-Lena GROENEFELD and Alicja ROSOLSKA as well as the team of Irina KHROMACHEVA and Veronika KUDERMETOVA are moving on to the finals. In singles, Caroline Wozniacki was too much for Petra Martic to handle. And Madison Keys was on fire against Monica Puig.

As an added bonus, the Invesco Series brought big name stars to the stage! It was thrilling to photograph legends Mats Wilander, Jim Courier, Andy Roddick, and Lleyton Hewitt as they duked it out on the court…and hammed it up for the crowd!

So the stage is set! Let’s see what happens at the finals?!?

VCO 2019 – Day 5

Day 5 at the Volvo Car Open delivered the drama!

Highlights included Madison Keys finally beating her friend Sloane Stephens for the first time in four attempts. Plus, Petra Martic upset the No. 9 seed, Belinda Bencic, to get to the biggest semi-final of her career. Others moving on to the semis included Caroline Wozniack, who beat a feisty Maria Sakkari, and Gold Medalist Monica Puig, who defeated Amarican Danielle Collins.

Any one of these final four could win the tournament.  Grab a ticket and come on out for some exciting tennis!

VCO 2019 – Day 4

And then there were EIGHT!!! The round of 16 at the Volvo Car Open saw some surprises, and the best players are rising to the top. Here are a few shots from the day’s action. Can’t wait to see who is left standing at the end of the week! 🙂

VCO 2019 – Day 3

We survived “Hump Day” at the Volvo Car Open! The best part was, the sun came out. YAY!!! There was a ton of AMAZING action, both on and off the courts. Here are a few selects from another incredible day of WTA tennis…

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Day 3

Day 3 of the Volvo Car Open started with me hanging out with Jennifer Brady at Charleston Day School. The kids LOVED her!

Then it was on to the MUSC Children’s Hospital where Darija Jurak and Misaki Doi took time out of their busy practice schedules to go and play with some kids that really needed some cheering up!

I then zipped over to the Daniel Island Club to photograph the All Access Media Hour, where 8 of the top seeds gather to be interviewed by various media outlets. Madison Keys, Johanna Konta Venus Williams, Samantha Stosur, Elena Vesnina, KiKi Bertens, and Daria Gavrilova were among the stars I got to photograph. Even last year’s Champion, Sloan Stephens, made in appearance, in spite of not being able to play this year due to injury.

Finally, I headed to the Family Circle Tennis Center to photograph several matches, including former Champions Andrea Petkovic and Jelena Jankovic, plus local home-town hero Shelby Rogers, before the rain drove us all indoors.

It’s all in a day’s work when you’re the official photographer at this world-class professional women’s tennis tournament!!!