Stan Wawrinka thanks New York and US Open after 2016 champ doesn’t get in event in his final season

By The Associated Press
August 25, 2026 | 12:31 PM

NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Stan Wawrinka thanked New York and the U.S. Open on Tuesday, after the past champion didn’t get into the tournament in his final season before retiring.

Wawrinka was the , one of his three major titles. The 41-year-old from Switzerland is no longer ranked high enough to qualify directly for the tournament, and the U.S. Tennis Association didn’t give him a wild card into the event.

“Thank you, New York Thank you, (at) US Open,” along with emojis of the Statue of Liberty and a tennis racket. 鈥淭hank you to every single fan who supported me, pushed me, believed in me and shared all these emotions with me over the years. Forever grateful. Forever New York.鈥�

Wawrinka became one of the most accomplished players of his era, at a time when , Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were dominating tennis. He beat Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final and Djokovic the following year to win the French Open.

He , though he wasn’t able to defend it. Wawrinka missed the 2017 U.S. Open after having two knee surgeries that year, then had a pair of foot surgeries in 2021.

Wawrinka reached No. 3 in the ATP rankings and also teamed with Federer to win the 2008 Olympic gold medal in men’s doubles.

There was some criticism of the USTA on Saturday when it awarded its final wild card to American Patrick Kypson, ranked No. 115, instead of to Wawrinka. Wawrinka is not entered in the U.S. Open qualifying tournament, so that ended his final chance to make the main draw.

But Wawrinka showed only appreciation in his post.

鈥淲hen I first arrived in New York from a small farming village in Switzerland, everything felt too big. The city. The noise. The energy. The crowds. The lights. But year after year New York slowly became one of my favorite places in the world,鈥� he wrote.

鈥淭his city challenged me. It pushed me. It brought something out of me that few places ever could. I experienced some of the strongest emotions of my career here. The battles, the late nights, the incredible atmosphere, the love from the crowd 鈥� memories that will stay with me forever. Winning the US Open, in the city that never sleeps, will forever be one of the greatest moments of my life.鈥�

___

Giants left-hander Carson Whisenhunt tears UCL in pitching elbow, surgery has been recommended

By The Associated Press
August 25, 2026 | 8:00 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) 鈥� San Francisco Giants left-hander Carson Whisenhunt suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and is likely to need surgery, another blow for an injury-plagued pitching staff. An MRI on Tuesday revealed the severity of his injury, a day after the 25-year-old Whisenhunt exited in the third inning of his team's 5-0 win against Cincinnati with pain in the elbow. He said he felt it on the final two pitches he threw and that it was unlike anything he had felt previously with his arm and elbow. The Giants said he would be examined by team doctors Tuesday and surgery was recommended. Whisenhunt was placed on the 15-day injured list with a sprained elbow and the club recalled right-hander Spencer Bivens from Triple-A Sacramento. Whisenhunt was coming off an outing in which he surrendered a career-worst seven runs and nine hits over four innings of an 8-1 loss at Cleveland last Tuesday. And he was on a roll when the injury happened, done after 47 pitches. Athletic trainer Dave Groeschner hustled out to check on Whisenhunt, who was clearly in pain and held his arm straight before walking off the mound.

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