Sawt Falasteen - Ex-champ Wawrinka gets last-minute wildcard to US Open

The US Tennis Association announced Wawrinka, a three-time singles Grand Slam winner, would replace Patrick Kypson. Kypson was originally awarded the spot, but withdrew with injury, the USTA said.

"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 omission of Wawrinka, 41, from the original list of wildcards has been a bubbling controversy within tennis since the USTA announced its picks last week.

Wawrinka, who has said he will retire after this season, opened the 2026 Grand Slam campaign solidly, winning two rounds at the Australian Open before losing in four sets to Taylor Fritz, a top US player.

Wawrinka lost in the first round of both the French Open and Wimbledon and has struggled to amass main tour wins in recent months.

But at number 127, Wawrinka is not far from the cutoff to merit direct entry.

Furthermore, he was the only other player besides Andy Murray to win multiple Grand Slams in a period dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

The original snub had sparked criticism from pundits and former players such as 2003 US Open Champion Andy Roddick, with many questioning the USTA's system for doling out slots for players who don't qualify by ranking.

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST