BREAKING: Stan Wawrinka awarded US Open wildcard in dramatic U-turn as statement released
Stan Wawrinka has been handed a US Open wildcard in his final year on tour. The 2016 champion was originally snubbed by organisors and looked set to miss out on a place in the main draw.
The three-time Grand Slam winner is currently ranked 127 in the ATP rankings meaning he does not directly qualify. The 41-year-old therefore needs a wildcard to secure his place in the 128 player draw which begins on Sunday.
There was outrage when news emerged that Wawrinka would miss out on the 10th anniversary of his four-set triumph over Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows. That victory in New York was one of three major title wins for the Swiss alongside the 2014 Australian Open and 2015 French Open.
But tournament organisors confirmed on Wednesday that the former world No.3 will now be back at the US Open. The news comes after America’s Patrick Kypson, who was previously awarded a main draw wild card, withdrew with an injury.
The 2014 Davis Cup winner has struggled in recent seasons due to persistent injury issues. Wawrinka has not got beyond the third round of a Grand Slam since the 2020 Australian Open where he lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
Wawrinka’s last Grand Slam final came at the 2017 French Open where he lost in straight sets to Rafael Nadal. However, the Swiss star was capabale of beating the game’s best in his prime.
All three of his slam wins came against the player ranked No.1 at the time with his Aussie Open win coming against Nadal before beating Djokovic in Paris and New York.
Wawrinka sent an emotional message on social media to the US Open before it was known that he would be handed a wildcard.
He said: “When I first arrived in New York from a small farming village in Switzerland, everything felt too big The city. The noise. The energy. The crowds. The lights
“But year after year New York slowly became one of my favorite places in the world This city challenged me. It pushed me. It brought something out of me that few places ever could
“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.
Winning the US Open, in the city that never sleeps, will forever be one of the greatest moments of my life Thank you, New York Thank you, @usopen
“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.”
