Wawrinka will get to play his farewell US Open after all — but in a most unexpected way

Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka will play at the 2026 US Open after all, even though just a few days ago it looked as if the tournament would go on without him. The USTA handed the 41-year-old former champion a wild card after American Patrick Kypson, who had originally received the invitation, withdrew due to injury.

Wawrinka is treating this season as the final one of his career, and his ranking no longer allows him to qualify directly for most tournaments. When the US Open's last remaining wild card was awarded to Kypson, the Swiss star appeared to have lost his chance to play in New York one final time.

The three-time Grand Slam champion had come to terms with missing the tournament and on Tuesday posted an emotional farewell message to the US Open on social media. Even before that, organizers had faced criticism: unlike the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, the US Open had not given the 2016 champion the chance to say goodbye to the crowd on court. Some pundits called the decision a disgrace and an unworthy way to treat a legend of the sport.

An unexpected twist

In the end, it was Kypson's injury that resolved the situation, prompting the USTA to reconsider and grant the wild card to Wawrinka after all. "I am incredibly happy to receive a wild card for the 2026 US Open and can't wait to play in front of the New York fans once again," the tennis player wrote.

Wawrinka was one of the strongest players of his generation, competing in an era dominated by Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. The Swiss rose to No. 3 in the world rankings, and before his US Open triumph in 2016, he had already won the Australian Open in 2014 and Roland Garros in 2015.

Source: sport.cz