Sometimes, things fall apart before they somehow fall perfectly into place. Stan Wawrinka looked ready to learn that the hard way. At 41, he had already confirmed that the US Open would be the final Grand Slam of his career, and considering he once lifted the trophy in New York, a farewell appearance felt like a no-brainer. But when the wildcard list came out, Wawrinka was nowhere on it. For a former champion, it felt like a cold ending. Then Wednesday flipped the entire story.

“For me, it was the end of my Grand Slam career… I was hoping for a wildcard, but I also know that wildcards are not granted… I was just sad not to be able to say goodbye,” said the former US Open winner. “I got the call, I think, Wednesday night or Wednesday afternoon when I was in the Swiss mountains… I was happy.”

The Swiss asked for a main-draw wildcard, but his name was left off the initial wildcard list. A former US Open champion was suddenly staring at the end of his Grand Slam career. Wawrinka responded with a farewell post: “Forever grateful. Forever New York.”

He did not enter qualifying either, which meant his four-hour Wimbledon battle against Matteo Berrettini looked set to be his last appearance at a major. Ranked No. 127 and without a wildcard, Wawrinka accepted the situation and returned home to Switzerland.

Then, while spending time in the Swiss mountains, the former champion received a call that changed everything.

The opening came when Patrick Kypson withdrew from the tournament because of an injury. Kypson had been given the final men’s wildcard after the USTA kept one spot open for its last pick. Just when Wawrinka thought his chance was gone, that spot suddenly became his.

Wawrinka called the week “a bit of a rollercoaster.” But once the call came, there was little time to process it. “Of course, I was happy, and I had to quickly organize to be back here,” he said.

Still, one question remains: if Wawrinka was hoping for a wildcard from the start, how did he get passed over in the first place?

Wawrinka’s résumé could not get him direct entry after a 7-15 tour-level season, leaving him outside the automatic main draw and dependent on a wildcard.

That is where the frustration came in. Wawrinka was playing his final season and hoping for one last run at the tournament he won in 2016. But the US Open used its wildcard spots elsewhere first, giving them to Michael Zheng, J.J. Wolf, Sebastian Gorzny, Jack Kennedy, Gael Monfils, Dane Sweeny and Darwin Blanch before Wawrinka got his chance.

And Wawrinka was hardly the first veteran to get burned by the wildcard system. At the 2024 Australian Open, retiring Australian John Millman was left out of the main draw and forced into qualifying, while home No. 1 Arina Rodionova was also passed over despite climbing to a career-high No. 112. The same thing happened again at Wimbledon in 2026, when Dan Evans was denied a singles wildcard before retirement and had to qualify instead.

There was nothing in the rules forcing the tournament to reward a former champion. But with Wawrinka preparing to retire at the end of the season, the decision still left him without the farewell he wanted at a tournament that had defined one of the biggest moments of his career.

That history is exactly why the late call mattered so much. Wawrinka has confirmed that the 2026 US Open will be his final Grand Slam before retiring at season’s end. New York is also where he won his third major, beating Novak Djokovic in the 2016 final.

Now, instead of ending his Grand Slam career from home, Wawrinka gets one final shot in New York and one last chance to remind everyone why he once reached World No. 3.

And the farewell comes with another twist.

Wawrinka will open against Berrettini, setting up a rematch of their Wimbledon battle. The Italian won that first-round contest after more than four hours, with every set ending in a tiebreak. Wawrinka has already called Berrettini a tough opponent, and their friendship only adds another layer to the rematch.

This time, though, the result will almost feel secondary. Wawrinka already thought he had said goodbye to Grand Slam tennis from Switzerland.

Now he gets to do it on court, in New York, at the tournament where he once became champion. And he is not the only one who felt that was how the story should end.

Tennis legends back Wawrinka’s US Open wildcard

Several tennis legends had also questioned why a former US Open champion was left out in the first place.

Tennis legends reacted quickly after the decision was announced. Martina Navratilova made her feelings clear, writing, “Well, hallelujah!!! Should have gotten it in the first place.”

Chris Evert echoed that reaction with, “Order has been restored…” while Boris Becker called the wildcard “Well deserved!” and said “the whole tennis community” was happy.

Their reactions reflected the criticism the US Open had already faced for leaving Wawrinka out.