Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
2026 US Open
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
New York City, United States
30 August – 13 September
Stan Wawrinka’s US Open farewell has been denied, and former champion Andy Roddick believes the Swiss veteran deserved better.
Wawrinka, who won the title at Flushing Meadows in 2016, was overlooked for a wild card as the US Open handed its eight main-draw invitations to Darwin Blanch, Sebastian Gorzny, Jack Kennedy, Patrick Kypson, Gael Monfils, Dane Sweeny, J.J. Wolf and Michael Zheng.
The decision has sparked debate, particularly given that the 41-year-old is in the final stages of his career. Wawrinka received wild cards for the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, but will now miss what has statistically been his best Grand Slam.
He has won 74% of his matches at the US Open and produced one of the defining performances of his career in 2016, defeating world number one Novak Djokovic in the final.
Speaking on Served with Andy Roddick, the former US Open champion questioned why Wawrinka was not rewarded for the way he has conducted his farewell.
“I’m disappointed for the [Stan] Wawrinka decision, not just because he is a great champion, first ballot hall of famer, none of those things, but Stan has gone about his farewell as you would want someone to go about their farewell,” Roddick said.
“Respect for the game, doing it the right way, going down and not having an ego about playing Challengers…
“Being on the periphery of the cut-off, you would hope that those types of action would be rewarded.
“They weren’t in this instance. What else could Stan Wawrinka do?”
Roddick also acknowledged the realities behind the wild-card system, with reciprocal arrangements between the USTA and other Grand Slam nations playing a role. Monfils’ inclusion, for example, reflects the relationship between American and French tennis, while other places are used to support the development of American players.
But that has left Wawrinka without a place despite being just a handful of ranking spots away from direct qualification.
Had he qualified automatically, there would be no debate. Yet Roddick’s argument is that a player of Wawrinka’s stature, who has embraced the Challenger circuit and handled his farewell without entitlement, should have been considered differently.
For the US Open, it is a difficult decision. For Wawrinka, it is a disappointing ending to a remarkable New York story, and one that could have been avoided with just one wild card.
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