Surprise with the US Open wildcards: featuring Venus Williams and Monfils, and without Serena and Wawrinka
The last Grand Slam of the year will have major absences, pending the announcement of an invitation for both the men's and women's draws.
The US Open 2026 has officially announced its wildcards for this year's edition, featuring pleasant surprises and notable and surprising absences that have raised alarms. It should be noted that one invitation is still awaiting announcement for both the men's and women's draws, so there may still be important announcements in the coming days.
In the men's draw, the most striking name is Gael Monfils, who in his final year as a professional will be able to say goodbye in style at the last Grand Slam of the season in New York, which is expected to be a celebration. Moreover, he is also expected to play in the mixed doubles tournament alongside his wife Elina Svitolina a few days before the individual draws begin. Another name to highlight is Alexei Popyrin, while the rest of the selections have been bets on local talent.
Martin Damm, Michael Zheng, J.J. Wolf, Sebastian Gorzny, and Jack Kennedy will complete the list, with one invitation still to be announced. It is surprising that there is still no sign of Stan Wawrinka, as he won the tournament in 2016 and is in his last year as a professional, so it is highly likely that he will receive that last spot in the final draw to cap off an era-defining career with one last major to compete in.
Serena Williams raises doubts before the US Open
In the women's draw, the big surprise has been the wildcard granted to Venus Williams, who is not going through her best moment on the individual circuit. Still, at 46 years old, the American legend deserves the chance to shine in front of her home crowd, and that will indeed happen. Additionally, Sloane Stephens has also received an invitation for a tournament she won in 2017, thus joining the list of competing Americans.
The young American talents Carol Young Suh Lee, Reese Brantmeier, and Thea Frodin will also enjoy wildcards, while the French Federation's invitee will be Leolia JeanJean, and from the Australian Federation, it will be Taylah Preston. However, the major absence will be Serena Williams, who after playing Wimbledon 2026 and returning to the circuit was expected to receive an invitation to compete in another Grand Slam.
It is true that there is still one wildcard to be distributed, so perhaps both the tournament and the player are waiting to see how she feels after the knee injury she suffered at the All England Club. The GOAT of women's tennis has played alongside her sister Venus in doubles at the ATP Cincinnati, but it may still be too early to return to the individual circuit.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sorpresa con las wildcards del US Open: con Venus Williams y Monfils, y sin Serena y Wawrinka