RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesNEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Venus Williams of the United States returns a shot against Karolina Muchova of Czech Republic during their Women's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 25, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Julieta Pareja was only 16 when the California teenager found out she had received a wildcard to the 2025 U.S. Open. A top junior, Pareja knew getting a wild card was plausible, but the moment it happened seemed surreal.
"To be granted the opportunity to be in a Grand Slam environment, and have great practices leading up to play against a top player was incredible," Pareja said in an interview with Forbes.com. "Having these experiences motivated me to keep getting better and come back again."
A year later, Pareja is among the players hoping to gain one of the few discretionary wild cards still available to the 2026 U.S. Open.
The main draw at the U.S. Open features 128 men and 128 women. Last week, the U.S. Open released its entry list , based on July 20 rankings. The cutoff for direct entry was No. 101 for men and 102 for women. Eight players (five women, three men) used special or protected rankings, including Lois Boisson (No. 38), Shang Juncheng (No. 56), Irina-Camelia Begu (No. 82) and Thanasi Kokkinakis (No. 84).
Everyone else needs a wild card to gain entry to the main draw. A few wild cards have already been awarded. But promising juniors like Pareja, fan favorites like Grigor Dimitrov and Gael Monfils, and Major winners like Stan Wawrinka, are still awaiting word on a wild card.
Career Changing Wild Cards
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 06: Arthur Fery of Great Britain celebrates winning the fourth set against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during their Gentlemen's Singles fourth round match on day eight of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 06, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images)
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Getting a wild card to a Grand Slam tournament can change a player’s career. Emma Raducanu owes part of her historic U.S. Open run to a wild card, one she received at Wimbledon in 2021.
That year, Raducanu became the first person to come through qualifying to win the U.S. Open . A month earlier, she was an obscure 18-year-old ranked No. 338 when Wimbledon granted her a wild card.
Being British allowed Raducanu to leapfrog more accomplished players. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and rose to No. 150, not high enough to qualify for direct entry into the main draw at the U.S. Open. However, with Grand Slam tournament experience and $250,000 in prize money Raducanu rode the wild card wave through Flushing Meadows.
"If I didn’t get that wild card, who knows what would have happened or if the U.S. Open would have happened?" Raducanu said after winning the title.
Similarly, Wimbledon wild card Arthur Fery scored a huge payday by reaching the semifinals at this year’s tournament. Before Wimbledon, Fery’s career earnings were $868,053 and he was ranked No. 114. He earned $1.2 million for reaching the semis, where he lost to No. 2 Alexander Zverev. Fery won’t need a wild card to enter the U.S. Open. He’s now ranked No. 37.
Those wild card-to-riches stories are most likely at Wimbledon, where the All England Club gifts entries to British players, many ranked outside of the Top 150. In 2025, 15 of Wimbledon’s 16 wild cards went to Brits.
Who Already Has A Wild Card To The 2026 US Open
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 12: Jordan Lee (L) of the United States and Cruz Hewitt of Australia pose with trophies on the podium after the Boys' Singles Final match on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 12, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
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The U.S. Open gives out 16 wild cards to the main draw and additional ones to the qualifying rounds. Jordan Lee, 16, of Orlando, won the Wimbledon boys singles title. He and his opponent in the final, Cruz Hewitt, the son of Lleyton Hewitt, have received wild cards into qualifying rounds at this year’s U.S. Open.
Last year, Pareja reached the girls singles and doubles final at Wimbledon. Pareja and former No. 1 junior Clervie Ngounoue, were given discretionary USTA developmental wild cards, reserved for promising young Americans. They have yet to secure wild cards this year.
In June, the USTA hosted a collegiate wild card playoff at the national campus in Orlando. Top American college players competed for wild cards into the main draw and qualifying. The event was only open to college players who are American citizens.
Sebastian Gorzny (Texas), defeated Trevor Svajda (SMU) to secure a wild card into the men’s singles main draw. Svajda received a wild card into the men’s singles qualifying. Reese Brantmeier (North Carolina) defeated Katrina Scott (Tennessee) to win the women’s singles main draw wild card. Scott also gets a wild card into the women’s singles qualifying.
The US Open Wild Card Challenge
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 24: Learner Tien of USA during his first round against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day one of the 2025 US Open Tennis Championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 24, 2025 in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York City. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
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The U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge began July 13. Wild Cards will be awarded to an American man and woman who accumulate the most ranking points — including qualifying and main draw points — during the Challenge’s five-week window for the men and four-week window for the women. The Challenge ends August 9 for women and August 16 for men.
Amanda Anisimova, who reached the final of the 2025 U.S. Open, won a U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge in 2024. So did Learner Ti...
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