Wildcard decisions are among the most closely watched announcements before a Grand Slam, and the USTA’s latest choices ahead of the US Open have clarified several matters while opening the door to fresh discussion.

From New York on Tuesday, the governing body revealed which players secured main draw places and which ones were left needing to fight through qualifying.

“Former US Open women’s singles champions Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens have received singles main draw wildcards to the 2026 US Open,” the statement said.

“They join fellow Americans Carol Young Suh Lee, Reese Brantmeier and Thea Frodin, who also earned singles main draw wildcards, as well as France’s Leolia Jeanjean and Australia’s Taylah Preston.

“Meanwhile, Americans Janae Preston, Katrina Scott, Caroline Dolehide and more have received wildcards to the women’s singles qualifying tournament.”

The announcement also effectively removes any remaining uncertainty over Serena Williams in singles at the event. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is set to appear in New York in doubles alongside Venus.

The men’s wildcard list produced its own talking point, with Gael Monfils selected ahead of former champion Stan Wawrinka. It is the final season on tour for both players.

“Gael Monfils and Alexei Popyrin headline the recipients of the 2026 US Open Men’s Singles Main Draw wildcards,” said the USTA statement. “Rising American stars Michael Zheng, Martin Damm, J.J. Wolf, Sebastian Gorzny and Jack Kennedy have also been awarded wildcards.

“2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori was given a wildcard into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, where 128 athletes compete in the hopes of winning three matches in a row during the qualifying draw, which earns them one of the final 16 spots in the main draw.

“Several Americans join Nishikori in the qualifying event as wildcard recipients, including Michael Antonius, Andrew Johnson, Jordan Lee, Trevor Svajda, Andre Ilagan, Spencer Johnson and Daniel Milavsky.”

Much of the reaction centred on Monfils being chosen over Wawrinka, with the decision drawing criticism from social media users. The USTA’s Reciprocal Wildcard Agreement with the Australian Open and French Open shaped part of the selection process, which helped Monfils and Popyrin earn their places.

The release also appears to confirm that former US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper will not compete at this year’s event, with an injury placing his future in the sport in doubt. His deactivated Instagram account earlier this week has only added to the speculation.

Jack Draper’s involvement in the 2026 US Open is now in doubt after the latest mixed doubles entry list for the New York major was published.

The event was redesigned from the 2025 edition to bring together high-profile singles players in mixed doubles. At Flushing Meadows, the main draw now includes 16 teams and is staged over two days during US Open fan week.

Six partnerships receive direct entry based on combined singles rankings, while the draw also reserves eight wildcard places and two spots for teams coming through qualifying. The six direct-entry teams have already been set, and five of the eight wildcard pairings have now been revealed.

Draper teamed up with Jessica Pegula at the 2025 tournament, and the pair had previously appeared together on entry lists for this year’s competition. They were unable to qualify directly because of Draper’s current ranking, and they are also absent from the five wildcard teams announced so far.

With three wildcard openings still unfilled, the pair could still be added later.

Even beyond mixed doubles, Draper’s presence in the singles event is not assured. He would need a main draw wildcard because of his ranking at the entry deadline, though he could also enter qualifying, which overlaps with mixed doubles.

There are broader concerns as well, with Draper still dealing with a bone bruising injury in his left arm. The former world No 4 has played only 16 matches since his second-round defeat to Marin Cilic at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships more than 13 months ago.

He returned earlier this month at the Canadian Open, where he lost to Terence Atmane in the opening round. In the third set, his serve speed dropped sharply, and he broke down in tears during a changeover while trailing 1-4.

Last week, he again appeared physically troubled in a 6-3, 7-5 first-round loss to Martin Landaluce at the Cincinnati Open.

Players have grown increasingly frustrated with how prize money is shared at the Grand Slams, and that tension has already led to protest action in 2026.

At Roland Garros, players staged a media boycott, limiting post-match press access to 15 minutes. Wimbledon was also expected to face a similar response, although the leading players from both the ATP and WTA tours reversed course as the tournament got underway.

Attention is now turning to the US Open, where questions remain over whether any further protest will be staged this year. There have been rumours that some players were discussing skipping the US Open Mixed Doubles, but that does not appear to be the direction being taken.

Jessica Pegula, who serves as a player representative on the WTA Player Council, provided an update from the Cincinnati Open. She said: “I think going into the US Open, we’re still waiting on a prize money announcement, so we haven’t really made any big decisions.

“They have definitely come to the table as far as wanting to change some of the stuff that’s been going on. I don’t know how much, how far they’re willing to.”

The US Open has not yet announced its prize money for this season, even though it is usually among the biggest in the sport. Last year, the event distributed $90 million, with $5 million going to Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka as the champions.

Prize money is often revealed in early August, so the delay may reflect efforts to respond to player pressure and avoid disruption. Players are seeking a Grand Slam distribution of $93.5 million, which is close to what the US Open paid out for the 2025 tournament.

Several leading players are already entered in the US Open Mixed Doubles, which raises the possibility that the Flushing Meadows major could proceed without incident. The tournament begins on Sunday, 23rd August and runs through the men’s final on Sunday, 13 September, with the opening week featuring exhibition matches, mixed doubles, and qualifying.