Former champions Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu, as well as the resurgent Amanda Anisimova, are among the eight players who received wildcards for the main draw of the US Open on Wednesday.
The main draw of the last Grand Slam event of the year begins on Monday, August 26. The wildcards join an already full field of participants, led by top seed Iga Swiatek and defending champion Coco Gauff.
World number one Swiatek and defending champion Gauff lead the list of participants at the US Open
Here is a snapshot of the eight wildcard recipients in the main draw:
Naomi Osaka: Former World No. 1, Osaka won two of her four Grand Slam titles at the US Open, namely in 2018 and 2020. In total, the Japanese star has played in the main draw of the US Open seven times and has an impressive record of 22-5 in the main draw of the event.
Osaka returned from maternity leave earlier this season after giving birth to her daughter Shai in 2023. The 26-year-old returned to the top 100 last month and has risen to No. 90 in the world rankings as of this week.
Bianca Andreescu: Andreescu won her first Grand Slam title at the 2019 US Open, becoming the first Canadian player to win a major singles title. That same year, she also won WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells and at her home tournament in Toronto.
Former world No. 4 Andreescu has a 12-2 win-loss record in the main draw at the US Open. The 24-year-old missed last year’s edition due to injury.
Amanda Anisimova: Former top-25 player Anisimova climbed back up the rankings after reaching her first WTA 1000 final at the National Bank Open in Toronto last week. The American defeated four top-20 players in a row in Canada to reach her first singles final since 2022.
Anisimova, 22, took an eight-month break from the sport last year and started this season outside the top 300, but after Toronto she is now back in the top 50. Her performance in Canada earned her victory in the USTA’s US Open Wild Card Challenge this year.
McCartney-Kessler: American Kessler also received a wildcard for the main draw and will make her debut in the main draw of the US Open. The 25-year-old is a former All-American at the University of Florida.
After playing in the main draw at this year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon, Kessler won the ITF W100 Challenger event in Landisville, Pennsylvania, last week and made her top 100 debut on Monday.
Iva Jovic: American teenager Jovic earned her wildcard into the main draw last week by winning the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships in San Diego and will now make her Grand Slam main draw debut. Jovic, 16, is a two-time Junior Grand Slam doubles champion.
Alexa Noel: American Noel, 21, will also make her Grand Slam main draw debut, earning a wildcard into the main draw by winning this year’s NCAA singles championship for the University of Miami. Noel had a solid junior career, reaching the Wimbledon junior final in 2019.
Chloe Paquet: Paquet received her wildcard into the main draw through a swap with the French Tennis Federation. The 30-year-old Frenchwoman made her long-awaited top-100 debut last month. Paquet has played in the main draw at the other three Grand Slams, but this will be her first appearance in the main draw of the US Open.
Taylor Preston: Rising 18-year-old Preston received her main draw wildcard through a swap with Tennis Australia. The teenager made her Grand Slam main draw debut on home soil at this year’s Australian Open and will play in the main draw of the US Open for the first time.
The USTA also announced the American women who received wildcards into the US Open qualifying round: Clervie Ngounoue, Liv Hovde, Tyra Grant, Akasha Urhobo, Sophie Chang, Mary Stoiana, Kristina Penickova, Julieta Pareja and Valerie Glozman. The US Open qualifying round will take place from August 19-22.
