Ex-champ Wawrinka gets last-minute wildcard to US Open
The 2016 champion's omission from the original list sparked criticism from former players over the USTA's selection system.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has announced that Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam singles winner and 2026 Grand Slam campaign starter, will replace Patrick Kypson in the US Open singles competition after Kypson withdrew due to injury. Wawrinka, 41, was not initially included in the USTA's wildcard list, leading to controversy since the announcement last week.
He expressed excitement about accepting the wild card and competing in New York once more. Wawrinka, who plans to retire after this season, had a strong start to the 2026 Grand Slam, winning two rounds at the Australian Open before losing in the second round to Taylor Fritz. Despite falling to the fourth seed in both the French Open and Wimbledon, Wawrinka remains close to the cutoff for direct entry and is the sole player besides Andy Murray to have won multiple Grand Slams during a period dominated by Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.
The initial snub had drawn criticism from tennis pundits and former players, questioning the USTA's wildcard selection system.
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- Ex-champ Wawrinka gets last-minute wildcard to US Open freemalaysiatoday.com
