Stan Wawrinka has said he is ‘super happy’ to have been given a last-minute wildcard for the upcoming US Open, which will be his final appearance in New York.
With little more than 96 hours until the start of the tournament, and all of the men’s singles wildcards already handed out, the three-time Grand Slam champion was set to miss his final US Open campaign.
However, after American wildcard Patrick Kypson withdrew due to injury, Wawrinka – who was already back in Switzerland – received a call late on Wednesday confirming that he would, indeed, be given a place in the main draw.
The Swiss’s omission from the original wildcard list was met with much criticism, given that he is a former champion at the event.
In 2016, Wawrinka defeated defending champion Novak Djokovic in a dramatic four-set match to clinch his third and final Grand Slam title.
“Right now, I’m feeling really good,” remarked the former world No 3 during his pre-tournament press conference.
“I’m super happy to be here and very grateful for the wildcard. For me, this is my last year and my last Grand Slam of my career, so of course it will be special when I step onto the court.
“I will feel it, that’s for sure. But I’m very excited and very happy. I’m enjoying having this opportunity to be here one last time.
“Playing this final year is, of course, special, but being able to compete at all four Grand Slams was important to me, and I’m enjoying it a lot.”
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Despite initially missing out on a wildcard, Wawrinka made clear that he held no grudges against the tournament organisers.
“It was a bit of a roller coaster [to be given the wildcard], of course, because I went back home to New York on Monday night.
“For me, at that moment, it felt like the end of my Grand Slam career. I would have loved to be here, so I had to accept those emotions after not receiving the wildcard, and I was fine with it.
“At the end of the day, I always say that the only way to be sure of playing in a tournament is to have the necessary ranking. I knew I wasn’t directly on the list, so I was hoping for a wildcard, but I also know that wildcards are not guaranteed.
“Not getting one wasn’t a problem for me. I was just sad that I couldn’t say goodbye to New York and the US Open. I received the call on Wednesday night, or Wednesday afternoon, when I was in the Swiss mountains. Of course, I was happy and had to quickly arrange my return.”
Since arriving in New York, Wawrinka has once again been putting in the work on the practice courts against some of the world’s best players.
In his first-round match, the Swiss will face Italian Matteo Berrettini on Monday night on the Grandstand.
Wawrinka and Berrettini recently contested a thriller at Wimbledon, with the latter emerging victorious in a match consisting entirely of tie-breaks, 6-7(7), 7-6(16), 7-6(7), 7-6(5).
“It will be a very interesting rematch, of course,” he analysed.
“Wimbledon was a tough battle. It was a great match, and I think we both played well. Over four hours, four tie-breaks – it was really special, especially on Court 1.
“In the end, he is a really tough player to face. He’s a great guy and also a good friend, so it will be special to play against him here again.”
