RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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After initially snubbing Stan Wawrinka, the U.S. Open on Wednesday, Aug. 26, awarded a last-minute wild card to the 2016 men's singles champion, allowing him to play one last time at Flushing Meadows before he retires from tennis at the end of the 2026 season.
Wawrinka accepted the singles main draw wild card after American Patrick Kypson, who previously received the final wild card, withdrew due to injury. The draw will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 27 and play begins Sunday, Aug. 30 in New York.
"I'm incredibly excited to accept the wild card for the 2026 U.S. Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again," Wawrinka said in a statement.
Wawrinka, 41, is ranked 127th in the ATP singles rankings, not high enough to qualify directly for the tournament. Earlier this year, he received wild cards into the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and qualified directly for the French Open. But after he was refused a U.S. Open wild card for his final career Grand Slam, Wawrinka posted an emotional farewell message to the tournament on Instagram on Aug. 25.
"I experienced some of the strongest emotions of my career here. The battles, the late nights, the incredible atmosphere, the love from the crowd…memories that will stay with me forever," Wawrinka wrote. "Thank you, New York. Thank you, (at) U.S. Open. Thank you to every single fan who supported me, pushed me, believed in me and shared all these emotions with me over the years. Forever grateful. Forever New York."
Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion from Switzerland known for his phenomenal one-handed backhand, has a 46-16 career record at the U.S. Open, including his 2016 finals victory over then-No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
Wawrinka's baffling exclusion prompted backlash from tennis fans, who pointed out his past success at the U.S. Open and criticized the discretionary wild card process.
Every major tennis tournament reserves a specific number of wild cards, which are generally given to local players, rising young talent, players returning from injuries or former champions. While some wild card spots are filled through reciprocal agreements — like the three-way agreement between the United States Tennis Association, Tennis Australia and the French Tennis Federation — most are distributed at the discretion of tournament directors.
Before Wawrinka's initial snub, the wild card process was already under fire because of Venus Williams, with some arguing that the 46-year-old's selection was taking away opportunities that should go to up-and-coming players.
Also on Wednesday, Venus and Serena Williams accepted a wild-card invitation to play women's doubles at the U.S. Open.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stan Wawrinka finally gets a U.S. Open wild card after initial snub
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