Stan Wawrinka hasn't played the final Grand Slam of his career after all. After not being awarded a wild card by the US Open initially, and after little-known Patrick Kypson withdrew from the final major of the year with an injury, the New York event has given the Swiss great an invitation to play in 2026.
That means that the retiring Wawrinka won't be forced to call Wimbledon his last major, and instead can finish that part of his career at the major he won in 2016. He shouldn't have had to wait so long to receive a wild card, of course, but at least before the start of the US Open, which is on Sunday, August 30, he knows he can play.
How deep of a run he makes doesn't matter, and never did. The point was to see his career end the way it should have. The three-time Grand Slam champion was worthy of getting automatic invites into whatever tournaments he wanted to play in this year. The US Open should have made his acceptance process easy.
Stan Wawrinka finally get his wild card to play in the 2026 US Open
It wasn't as if he had never achieved success at the major, not that that should have mattered either. But he did win the major, and he made the semifinals two other times. That he was initially snubbed by the USTA was wrong, but it further proved just how much of an overlooked and undervalued player the Swiss was throughout his career.
His best years were naturally overshadowed by historic greats Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and countryman Roger Federer, but shouldn't have necessarily been by Andy Murray. Murray won as many majors (three) as Wawrinka, and while he reached No. 1 for a short time, Wawrinka was also ranked inside the top five on the ATP Tour.
Three-time Grand Slam and 2016 US Open men's singles champion Stan Wawrinka will receive a singles main draw wild card into the 2026 US Open.
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2026
Patrick Kypson, previously awarded a main draw wild card, withdrew with an injury. pic.twitter.com/OzGGEUpEZm
Even if Stan Wawrinka lasts just one round, the New York crowd should show up in full as he plays at least one more match in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Will the US Open give him the honor of playing on center court? That isn't yet known, but it would at least help make up for not giving the player a wild card to begin with.
Wawrinka should be remembered well as a rather quiet champion who kept striking the ball well with his one-handed backhand, a dying breed of a shot. At least he can do that a bit more in the final major of the year.
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