Overview
- Stan Wawrinka received a last-minute main-draw wildcard Wednesday while in the Swiss mountains and immediately flew back to New York to play what he has confirmed will be his final Grand Slam.
- The opening came after American Patrick Kypson withdrew with an injury, freeing the discretionary slot the USTA had kept available for a final selection.
- Wawrinka, ranked outside automatic entry and not entered in qualifying, will face Matteo Berrettini in the US Open first round after their four-hour Wimbledon meeting earlier this summer.
- High-profile players and former champions publicly criticized Wawrinka's initial omission, with figures such as Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Boris Becker praising the late decision.
- The episode exposed how the USTA's mix of ranking-based entry, qualifying and discretionary wildcards can leave veterans dependent on organizers' choices and is likely to renew calls for clearer, more transparent selection criteria.