Stan Wawrinka Doesn’t Deserve a US Open Wild Card: Wawrinka Gets Wild Card after Kyson’s Withdrawal.

The Stan Wawrinka US Open Wild Card fiasco comes full circle as Wawrinka gets the US Open Wild Card after Patrick Kyson withdraws.

Stan Wawrinka doesn’t deserve a US Open Wild Card.

Patrick Kypson does, and the USTA made the right call.

Read on for the Stan Wawrinka US Open Wild Card fiasco.

This article is part of our ongoing 2026 US Open coverage.

Wawrinka’s Less-Than-Stellar Recent Resume

Wawrinka is a three-time Grand Slam champion, a former world No. 3, and the 2016 US Open champion. None of that is in dispute.

But none of it should guarantee him another main-draw spot, either.

Wawrinka is 41 years old, ranked No. 125, and has lost six of his last seven completed matches.

His lone victory during that stretch came against Dalibor Svrcina at the Cancun Challenger, and he needed two tiebreaks to get through it.

That is the reality behind the Stan Wawrinka US Open wild card debate.

Patrick Kypson Has a Better Case

Patrick Kypson is 26, ranked No. 115 and reached a career-high No. 89 in May.

He is 32-22 over his last 52 matches and has already shown he can compete at tour level.

Kypson qualified in Acapulco and beat then-world No. 6 Alex de Minaur. He pushed Stefanos Tsitsipas through three tiebreak sets in Madrid, qualified for Rome and won a main-draw match at Wimbledon.

He is ranked higher than Wawrinka, playing better tennis and still has room to move forward.

That matters more than nostalgia.

Wild Cards Aren’t Lifetime-Achievement Awards

Wawrinka has already received plenty of wild cards this season.

That’s fine. He has earned that kind of respect over the course of a Hall of Fame career.

But there comes a point when results have to matter.

The US Open isn’t obligated to give a former champion one more appearance simply because he won the tournament 10 years ago.

The Venus Williams Defense

Some can gripe all they want about Venus Williams receiving another US Open wild card and use that in Wawrinka’s defense.

Williams is an American tennis icon, a two-time US Open champion and one of the most recognizable athletes the sport has ever produced.

Wawrinka is a Swiss legend with a brilliant résumé, but he doesn’t carry anywhere near the same cultural weight in the United States.

Final Wawrinka US Open Wild Card Thoughts

Kypson is an American trying to establish himself inside the Top 100 and earn direct entry into these events.

That is exactly the kind of player the USTA should be helping.

Sentiment says to give Wawrinka one final night in New York. The tennis says to give the spot to Kypson.

The USTA chose the younger American who is ranked higher, playing better and still has something to build toward.

They got the Wawrinka US Open Wild Card mess right.