Stan Wawrinka Misses US Open Wildcard for Farewell Season

Stan Wawrinka will not make a farewell appearance in the US Open singles main draw after missing out on a wildcard for the 2026 tournament. BBC Sport reported that the 41-year-old, who won the title in New York in 2016, did not enter qualifying even though his ranking would have allowed him to do so.

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Wawrinka intends to retire at the end of the year. He received wildcards for the Australian Open and Wimbledon this season and entered the French Open main draw through his ranking. The Swiss player reached the third round in Melbourne before losing in the opening round at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

The United States Tennis Association has faced criticism over the decision but said it does not comment on wildcard selections. Wawrinka responded by thanking the tournament and New York in a social media post, reflecting on the city’s importance to his career and describing his 2016 championship as one of his greatest memories.

That victory came when Wawrinka defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. It completed a three-year run in which he won three different major titles: the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open. He also reached a career-high ranking of world number three and was among the few men to win major singles trophies during the era dominated by Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Wawrinka made 17 appearances in the men’s singles main draw in New York after debuting there in 2005. His coach, Magnus Norman, also acknowledged the disappointment on social media, saying their attempt to return for one last Grand Slam had fallen short while thanking the team for its years of memories at the event.

The BBC reported that Wawrinka has dropped outside the top 100 after recent difficulties with injuries and form. Six non-reciprocal men’s wildcards and six non-reciprocal women’s wildcards went to American players, while places reserved through federation agreements went to French and Australian entrants. The US Open is due to begin at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, August 30.