Stan Wawrinka will make one last visit to the US Open after a late wildcard offered him an unexpected route into the main draw.

The three-time Grand Slam champion had been set to miss the tournament after the original men’s singles wildcards were allocated and the start of the event was less than 96 hours away. That changed when Patrick Kypson withdrew because of injury, prompting a late call on Wednesday to Wawrinka, who had already returned to Switzerland.

His exclusion from the initial list drew criticism because of his history at the event. Wawrinka won the 2016 title in New York, beating defending champion Novak Djokovic in four sets to claim the third and final Grand Slam trophy of his career.

At his pre-tournament press conference, he made clear how much the return means to him. “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.”

Wawrinka also said there were no hard feelings after the original omission. “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.”

Now back in New York, he has resumed practice and will open against Matteo Berrettini on Monday night on the Grandstand. The pair recently met at Wimbledon in a match decided entirely by tie-breaks, with Berrettini winning 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.”

Alexander Zverev has pushed back against being described as the main title favourite for the US Open, even as the draw opens up around him and Carlos Alcaraz prepares to return after a long spell away.

The German arrives in New York with a very different standing from a year ago. Since then, he has captured his first Grand Slam crown at the French Open and reached his maiden Wimbledon final in July. Those results have naturally sharpened the focus on his prospects at Flushing Meadows, especially after world No 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew because of lingering knee problems following his Wimbledon triumph.

Alcaraz, now ranked behind Zverev, has also been absent for four months because of a wrist injury, but the Spaniard is set to rejoin the tour in New York. Zverev, however, is not reading too much into the circumstances surrounding his rivals. He also admitted his own build-up has not been ideal, after losing early at both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open.

Even so, his US Open record remains strong. He has reached at least the quarter-finals in four of his last five appearances, and he made the final in 2020 before losing a five-set classic to Dominic Thiem after leading by two sets and a break.

“I still feel that I should have won in 2020; that hasn’t changed. Overall, of course, there is a certain level of satisfaction from finally winning a Grand Slam,” he analysed during his pre-tournament press conference.

“I think I’ve said it a million times. But you also realise something: once you win one, you want to win more. You want to keep moving forward, and you want to play your best tennis every time you step onto a court.

“I feel that I did that after Roland Garros, and then I didn’t do it in the last two tournaments.

“But I definitely feel that my game is coming back, and it’s been improving with every training session. I hope to show my best tennis here again.”

Zverev also rejected the idea that he should be treated as the clear favourite, saying the decisive name is the one left standing near the end of the event.

“I think being a seed is nice and shows that you have been playing well, but I think the most important thing is whose name appears at the end of the draw and who is still here in two weeks,” he added.

“I believe that’s the main objective for everyone in the draw. I feel like I’m just one of the 128 favourite players in the draw, nothing more.”

Asked about Alcaraz’s wrist issue, Zverev said the injuries are not comparable and suggested the Spaniard could need only a match or two to settle before becoming dangerous again.

“I know what you mean, but it’s very different because I think it’s a different injury,” Zverev stated.

“The wrist is never easy, that’s for sure.

“I know this because my brother also had a wrist injury, and it takes time to come back from something like that. I think mine was different because I tore seven ligaments and fractured two bones, so I had to undergo surgery.

“It took me a year to come back, so it was a bit different. I feel that he’s probably at the same physical level now, if not better, because surely over the last four or five months he has done a lot of physical work – something I couldn’t do because I couldn’t walk.

“I think he’ll be a bit rusty during the first or second match, but once he gets past that, I think he will be a title contender, for sure.”

Zverev begins his US Open campaign against Lorenzo Sonego.

The US Open has given players in qualifying an extra financial lift in New York, with organisers providing cash-linked gifts to help offset the cost of staying in one of the world’s most expensive cities.

The gesture comes after the tournament announced another significant rise in prize money for 2026, with qualifying earnings now at record levels. Social media from the event showed players being told about the packages on arrival.

Each player received a $2,500 Uber credit, which can be used for transport across the city and for meal deliveries. They also were handed a $1,000 American Express gift card, adding to the support available during their time at the tournament.

British players Fran Jones and Heather Watson were among those shown receiving the cards on camera.

The move is likely to matter most for lower-ranked players, for whom the extra support goes alongside a major increase in qualifying prize money. A first-round loser in qualifying now takes home $32,000, while players who fall in the third round of qualifying still earn $66,000.

The broader discussion around prize money in tennis has intensified over the last two years, with leading players threatening strike action unless they received a larger share of the revenue generated by the Grand Slam events.

Those tensions appear to have eased somewhat following the latest prize money rises and the introduction of a new Player Advisory Council, which is intended to give players a stronger voice with tournament organisers.

“These steps represent important progress in the ongoing conversations between players and the US Open over the past 18 months,” a spokesperson for the players said, as they welcomed the prize money increases.

“This is a substantial increase in prize money. While this is not yet tied to an agreed revenue-sharing formula, players remain committed to that principle and will continue to work with each of the grand slams toward that goal.

“Players value the meaningful commitment to player welfare and are keen to discuss how it can grow to fully meet the needs identified in the players’ July 2025 proposal.

“Players have also strongly welcomed the decision by the four Grand Slams to establish a Player Advisory Council, a significant milestone, as it reflects real responsiveness on one of the requests players laid out to the Grand Slams eighteen months ago. The announcement represents a meaningful step forward in giving players a more direct and consistent voice in decisions that affect them.

“Players and their representatives will now discuss the details of how the Council is composed and how it will operate, including who represents them.”