&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Former champions Wawrinka and Williams sisters granted last-minute US Open wildcards")
In a startling development around wildcard entries at the upcoming 2026 US Open, former winners Stan Wawrinka and the decorated Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, have secured last-minute qualification for the final Slam of the year. Switzerland’s Wawrinka, who is set to retire from professional tennis after the end of this season, has replaced Patrick Kypson in the singles draw after the American was forced to withdraw due to injury.
"I'm incredibly excited to accept the wild card for the 2026 US Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again," Wawrinka said in a USTA press release.
The USTA's omission of the 41-year-old Wawrinka from the final list of wildcards for the tournament picked last week led to a lot of backlash, including from former champion Andy Roddick.
Wawrinka began this year with two wins in the singles competition at the Australian Open before losing to top-seeded US player Taylor Fritz. At both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Wawrinka was knocked out in the first round, and also failed to find his best result on the main tours in recent months.
Williams Sisters Return in Doubles
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
The two Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, are slated to compete in women's doubles at the 2026 US Open after being granted a wildcard, tournament officials announced on Wednesday. The announcement by the US Tennis Association follows Serena Williams' dramatic return to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday, when she and her mixed doubles partner, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, won their first match before losing in the quarterfinals.
Venus Williams, meanwhile, was granted a USTA wildcard to compete in women's singles, an event Serena is not participating in.
The two American sisters together have combined for 14 women's doubles Grand Slam titles, including two US Opens. They have also won three gold medals together at the Olympic Games in women's doubles.
Both Venus and Serena last competed together in New York in 2022, when they lost their opening match to the Czech team of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova.
The pair, however, had been entered in Wimbledon earlier this summer, but withdrew after Serena suffered an injury in an opening-round singles loss.
(With inputs from AFP)
