2026 US Open Wild Card Recipients And Players Who Might Get One

Career Changing Wild Cards

Getting a wild card to a Grand Slam tournament can change a player’s career. Emma Raducanu owes part of her historic U.S. Open run to a wild card, one she received at Wimbledon in 2021.

That year, Raducanu became the first person to come through qualifying to win the U.S. Open. A month earlier, she was an obscure 18-year-old ranked No. 338 when Wimbledon granted her a wild card.

Being British allowed Raducanu to leapfrog more accomplished players. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and rose to No. 150, not high enough to qualify for direct entry into the main draw at the U.S. Open. However, with Grand Slam tournament experience and $250,000 in prize money Raducanu rode the wild card wave through Flushing Meadows.

“If I didn’t get that wild card, who knows what would have happened or if the U.S. Open would have happened?” Raducanu said after winning the title.

Similarly, Wimbledon wild card Arthur Fery scored a huge payday by reaching the semifinals at this year’s tournament. Before Wimbledon, Fery’s career earnings were $868,053 and he was ranked No. 114. He earned $1.2 million for reaching the semis, where he lost to No. 2 Alexander Zverev. Fery won’t need a wild card to enter the U.S. Open. He’s now ranked No. 37.

Those wild card-to-riches stories are most likely at Wimbledon, where the All England Club gifts entries to British players, many ranked outside of the Top 150. In 2025, 15 of Wimbledon’s 16 wild cards went to Brits.

Who Already Has A Wild Card To The 2026 US Open

The U.S. Open gives out 16 wild cards to the main draw and additional ones to the qualifying rounds. Jordan Lee, 16, of Orlando, won the Wimbledon boys singles title. He and his opponent in the final, Cruz Hewitt, the son of Lleyton Hewitt, have received wild cards into qualifying rounds at this year’s U.S. Open.

Last year, Pareja reached the girls singles and doubles final at Wimbledon. Pareja and former No. 1 junior Clervie Ngounoue, were given discretionary USTA developmental wild cards, reserved for promising young Americans. They have yet to secure wild cards this year.

In June, the USTA hosted a collegiate wild card playoff at the national campus in Orlando. Top American college players competed for wild cards into the main draw and qualifying. The event was only open to college players who are American citizens.

Sebastian Gorzny (Texas), defeated Trevor Svajda (SMU) to secure a wild card into the men’s singles main draw. Svajda received a wild card into the men’s singles qualifying. Reese Brantmeier (North Carolina) defeated Katrina Scott (Tennessee) to win the women’s singles main draw wild card. Scott also gets a wild card into the women’s singles qualifying.

The US Open Wild Card Challenge

The U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge began July 13. Wild Cards will be awarded to an American man and woman who accumulate the most ranking points — including qualifying and main draw points — during the Challenge’s five-week window for the men and four-week window for the women. The Challenge ends August 9 for women and August 16 for men.

Amanda Anisimova, who reached the final of the 2025 U.S. Open, won a U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge in 2024. So did Learner Tien. Both are now ranked in the Top 20.

Controversial Reciprocal Wild Cards

Perhaps the most controversial wild cards are reciprocal wildcards, those given to players based on nationality.

As veteran tennis writer Peter Bodo once asked in a column for ESPN.com, “What’s the point of handing out more than six percent (eight of 128) of your cherished berths in a singles draw to players who have done nothing to earn their place in one of the four most important events of the year, players who are almost always woefully outclassed when the balloon goes up?”

The USTA, Tennis Australia and the French tennis federation, participate in a reciprocal system in which Major host countries are allotted two wild cards to distribute as they please.

That’s how Caroline Garcia, of France, received a wild card to the 2025 U.S. Open, despite being ranked outside the Top 200. Garcia had announced her retirement, which often takes priority in wild card races.

Aussie Tristan Schoolkate and French player Valentin Royer, also got reciprocal wild cards. In 2025, Schoolkate received wild cards into the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open, guaranteeing him about $300,000 despite his scant resume and losing record in singles.

Wimbledon is not part of the reciprocal agreement. The All England Club gives out most of its wild cards to British players, some ranked outside the Top 200.

However, players from any of the four Grand Slam tournament host countries have a better chance of staying on the tour. American Ryan Harrison is a prime example of a player sustained by wild cards. Harrison, once a promising American player, received 71 ATP-tour level wild cards throughout his career. Harrison has a career losing record (118-159), never advanced beyond the third round and is 14 – 29 in singles at Majors. Yet, Harrison retired with $4,814,945 in prize money. Being a fixture at tournaments probably parlayed his playing career into a broadcasting gig with the Tennis Channel.

Sentimental Favorites And Other Discretionary Wild Cards

If Serena Williams wants a wild card, she’s going to get one. However, some big names are on the bubble in the competition for a discretionary wild card. The USTA Wild Card Committee awards discretionary wild cards based on vague criteria such as good standing and special circumstances. However, to boost their chances, players need longevity, credibility, celebrity, panache or promise.

Wawrinka and Monfils are retiring. They could obtain a discretionary wild card based on longevity, credibility and celebrity, which fall under special circumstances. Dimitrov, who also had a nice showing a Wimbledon, would be a sentimental choice. Early this week, Dimitrov withdrew from Los Cabos due to a practice injury.

Jack Draper, who was seeded No. 5 last year at the U.S. Open before injury. He’s a former No. 4 and reached the semifinals in 2024. He’s probably on the short list.

Then you have champions like 2019 U.S. Open winner Bianca Andreescu hoping for a wild card. Andreescu is ranked No. 174 and had to come through qualifying at Wimbledon. She might have to do the same at the U.S. Open despite being among a handful of active players to have won the tournament.

However, Andreescu is Canadian and there are a couple of Americans with a Major title, who will be seeking a wild card. Sofia Kenin, former No. 4, 2019 French Open finalist and 2019 Australian Open winner is ranked No. 116 right now but depending player withdrawals, she could make the main draw as an alternate. If she doesn’t, her ranking and status as an American champion makes her a good candidate for a wild card.

Sloane Stephens is playing in Memphis. She won the 2018 U.S. Open and has better name recognition than Kenin or Andreescu. Stephens entered Memphis ranked No. 307 and has already moved up 22 spots. If she wins that tournament she’ll make a strong case for a wild card.

You also have Taylor Townsend, ranked No. 106. Townsend is a multiple-Slam winner in doubles and reached the round of 16 at the U.S. Open last year.

Of course, Venus Williams, despite not winning a singles match in more than a year, would get one over any of those players. Last year, Williams received wild cards into singles and doubles.

Meanwhile, Pareja hopes to grab another promising young star discretionary wild card. She’s trying to make her case on the court. This summer, she already won her second ITF W50 title (Columbus, Ohio) and followed that up at the DC Open with a win over Heather Watson to become the the first player born in 2009 to qualify for a WTA 500 main draw.

“Playing US Open is an amazing opportunity,” said Pareja said. “You see what level, you see where your game is at, and you can see what you have to improve.”

It helps to be the first and only American female player brand ambassador for On, the brand backed by Roger Federer. That type of backing signifies that highly-regarded tennis minds have already identified something special in these players. Alexandra Eala was ranked No. 140 when she got a wild card to the IMG-operated Miami Open. Eala attended the Rafa Nadal Academy and was an IMG athlete.

Like Raducanu at Wimbledon in 2021, Eala backed up the opportunity by winning a few matches. Today, Eala is climbing toward the Top 20.

Still, some make the case that discretionary wild cards given to unproven players are unearned.

“Giving out wild cards allows host nations to celebrate homegrown talent and acknowledge talent from reciprocal partners,” wrote Bodo in his column for ESPN. “But you can also say: Do you really want to give a young kid a Maserati sports car for her birthday before she can drive? Isn’t a nice mountain bike enough?”

A wild card to the U.S. Open is an opportunity; a ticket to the contest. Maserati or mountain bike, the player still has to win to move forward.