Stan Wawrinka will not get a final on-court goodbye at the U.S. Open after the three-time major champion was denied a wild card into the men’s singles draw.
Wawrinka, 41, announced in December that he would retire at the end of 2026. After reaching the third round of the Australian Open, he fell in the first round of the next two Grand Slam events — in four sets at both the French Open and at Wimbledon.
The 2016 U.S. Open champion from Switzerland had hoped to conclude his Grand Slam career at Flushing Meadows but did not receive one of the final wild cards announced over the weekend and will not play in this week’s qualifying tournament. There are no specific rules related to the issuing of U.S. Open wild cards, which typically go to players from the host nation, notable players returning from injury and popular players who are retiring in the near future.
Gael Monfils, 39, has also announced that 2026 will be his last on tour. He has never won a Grand Slam event and is ranked 307th compared to Wawrinka at No. 127, but the Frenchman did receive a reciprocal wild card into the U.S. Open draw through the French Tennis Federation.
The USTA gives wild cards to the French and Australian federations, and the Australian wild card went to Alexei Popyrin. When Popyrin was elevated into the main draw following the withdrawal of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, his wild card went to fellow Australian Dane Sweeny.
Other wild cards in the men’s draw included Michael Zheng, the 22-year-old who qualified for each of the first three Grand Slam events this year, American J.J. Wolf and 22-year-olds Martin Damm and Sebastian Gorzny. Boys under-18s national champion Jack Kennedy also received a wild card.
Damm made the main draw when Ethan Quinn withdrew on Aug. 20, with Damm’s wild card reallocated to Darwin Blanch. The USTA held one wild-card spot back, and ultimately awarded it to former Boys’ 18s national champion Patrick Kypson on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
