USTA Leaves Final US Open Wild Card Open for 23-Time Major Winner Serena Williams

The USTA announced seven of eight women's wild cards on Tuesday, leaving one spot vacant as Serena Williams weighs a return to New York.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced seven of eight wild cards for the women's singles draw on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 01:09 PM ET. While former champions Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens secured their places, the final slot remains "To be announced," potentially reserved for 23-time major champion Serena Williams. Serena, now 44, recently returned to competitive play following a nearly four-year hiatus. Her most recent singles performance resulted in a first-round loss at Wimbledon to Maya Joint with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6 (6), 3-6. That match led to a knee injury, forcing her withdrawal from the doubles draw at the All England Club.

On Monday night, Serena competed for the first time in over six weeks since her Wimbledon defeat. Partnering with Venus for the first time since the 2022 US Open, the sisters fell in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. Despite the loss, the Williams sisters are expected to compete together in the doubles draw at Flushing Meadows. The USTA’s decision to leave the eighth wild card vacant mirrors the strategy used by Wimbledon officials, who waited for Serena to confirm her physical readiness before finalizing their field.

Women's Singles Wild Card Recipients

Beyond the Williams sisters and Stephens, the USTA granted spots to three other American players: Carol Young Suh Lee, Reese Brantmeier, and Thea Frodin. International entries were also finalized through reciprocal agreements with the French and Australian tennis federations. Leolia Jeanjean received a spot via the French federation, while Taylah Preston was awarded a wild card through the Australian agreement. Serena Williams must decide on her participation in the coming days, as singles qualifying matches are scheduled to begin this Monday in New York.

Men's Field and Retirement News

The men's singles wild cards were also revealed on Tuesday, with seven of eight spots filled. Michael Zheng, the reigning two-time NCAA men's singles champion, headlines the list alongside Gael Monfils. Monfils, a former world No. 6 and US Open semifinalist, has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the current season. Other American men receiving entry include Martin Damm, J.J. Wolf, Sebastian Gorzny, and Jack Kennedy. The reciprocal wild card for the men's draw was awarded to Alexei Popyrin through Tennis Australia.

Vacant Slots and Potential Entries

Similar to the women's draw, the men's eighth wild card spot is currently listed as "To be announced." A notable omission from the initial list is Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 US Open champion. Wawrinka, who is also retiring this year, remains a candidate for the final remaining position. The USTA has not yet confirmed when the final two names for the men's and women's draws will be officially disclosed. This announcement comes as the tennis world prepares for the final Grand Slam of the year, with the qualifying rounds serving as the immediate lead-in to the main draw action.