Charleston Open: Local Girl Shelby Rogers Reserves Special Place in Her Heart for the Green Clay Event

Shelby Rogers returned to tennis in the Miami Open after taking a short hiatus for her honeymoon. She couldn’t go far, but has shifted her focus to the Charleston Open, where she has managed one impressive result so far. She is looking to continue her stint in her home tournament, and she talked about how she feels being back home. 

Rogers gave her 10th appearance in the Charleston Open, where she beat Claire Liu 6-1, 6-1 in the first round. She gave an interview with the tournament press after her victory, where she talked about how it felt to be back home and competing for the trophy.

“So happy to be home and competing; lots of good vibes out there,” said Rogers during the 10th appearance at her home event. “I felt pretty free out there. I wasn’t trying to put too many expectations on myself. I just wanted to really soak up the moment and try to enjoy competing as best as I could, fight for every point, try to play the way that I like to play and how I play my best tennis. So I think I did a lot of those things tonight.”

Rogers has set up a second-round clash with the 2021 champion, Veronika Kudermetova. As the American player aims to have an even better stint, she shared an even another reason why she loves the Charleston Open. For her, along with a home tournament, it is a place where she became what she is today. 

“a dream that could never come true”: Shelby Rogers on how Charleston bolstered her to become a tennis player

A tennis player who reaches the international stage always finds inspiration one way or another. Rogers found it in Charleston. Since it was in her hometown, she could pop by to watch great WTA talent. The Charleston Open became the tournament that burned her tennis dream brighter. 

“I think without this tournament here, I would not have been exposed to professional women’s tennis,” she said. “I think when it feels accessible, it’s really helpful. It doesn’t feel like it’s a dream that could never come true. It feels like, ‘Okay, it’s right here in my backyard. I can see it with my eyes.’”

Rogers returned to the tournament after her honeymoon but found it easy to dive back into tennis mode. She has never made it into the finals of the tournament, but hopes to break the barriers in front of her. 

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