Ex-champ Wawrinka gets last-minute wildcard to US Open

New York: Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 Grand Slam champion, has been awarded a last-minute wildcard to participate in the US Open singles tournament next week, the US Tennis Association announced on Wednesday. This decision came after controversy surrounding Wawrinka's absence from the initial list of wildcards. The US Tennis Association informed Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam winner, that he would replace Patrick Kypson, who initially received the wildcard spot but subsequently withdrew due to injury.

Wawrinka expressed his excitement about accepting the wildcard and competing in front of fans in New York once again. The omission of Wawrinka from the original wildcard list has been a subject of controversy within tennis since the USTA announced its selections last week. Despite losing in the first round of the French Open, Wimbledon, and struggling to secure main tour wins recently, Wawrinka remains just outside the cutoff for direct entry at number 127.

The original snub of Wawrinka has drawn criticism from pundits and former players, including 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick, who questioned the USTA's system for allocating wildcard spots to players who do not qualify through rankings.