Wawrinka said in December he will retire at the end of the season Jan Kruger/Getty ImagesAug. 26, 2026 12:32 pm EDT Updated Stan Wawrinka has received a late main-draw wild card for the U.S. Open following Patrick Kypson’s withdrawal through injury, giving him the chance to play at the tournament for the final time.The 41-year-old Swiss player, who announced in December that he will retire at the end of the season, did not enter this week’s qualifying tournament after initially missing out on a wild card.The U.S. Open had been the only Grand Slam not to offer Wawrinka a wild card during his 2026 farewell season. The 2014 Australian Open champion was invited back to Melbourne, while Wimbledon awarded him a main-draw place and Roland Garros initially gave its 2015 champion a wild card before Lorenzo Musetti’s withdrawal allowed him to enter directly.Kypson, 26, ranked No. 115 in the world, had been awarded the eighth and final men’s wild card on Saturday. The USTA announced Wednesday that he had withdrawn and Wawrinka would take his place.“I’m incredibly excited to accept the wild card for the 2026 U.S. Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again,” Wawrinka said.The announcement came a day after the three-time Grand Slam champion posted a tribute to New York and the tournament to Instagram after appearing to have played his final major.“Winning the U.S. Open, in the city that never sleeps, will forever be one of the greatest moments of my life,” Wawrinka wrote Tuesday, signing off: “Forever grateful. Forever New York.”Wawrinka will make his 18th U.S. Open appearance and first since 2024. He has a 46-16 record in New York, winning the last of his three Grand Slam titles there in 2016 and had confirmed last month that he requested a main-draw wild card and hoped to play at the tournament for the final time.He won the last of his three Grand Slam singles titles at the U.S. Open in 2016, recovering from a set down to defeat Novak Djokovic in four sets in the final.The former world No. 3 reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2013 and 2015 and three further quarterfinals and his first-round opponent will be determined when the men’s singles draw is made on Thursday.Aug 26, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms