New York (AFP) – Former US Open women’s singles champions Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens were among the players to receive US Open main-draw wild cards from the US Tennis Association on Tuesday. One wild card spot was left vacant in both the men’s and women’s draw, with 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams making a comeback and not yet in the field for the August 30-September 13 Grand Slam in New York.
The Williams sisters lost in doubles on Monday at the Cincinnati Open in their first match together in four years. Serena, 44, is a six-time US Open singles champion who lost in the first round at Wimbledon this year to launch a comeback. She had not played in a singles Grand Slam draw since reaching the third round of the 2022 US Open.
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Venus, 46, won five Wimbledon singles titles and the 2000 and 2001 US Open singles crowns but has lost her past 14 WTA singles matches dating to July 2025. Stephens, 33, captured the 2017 US Open singles title. Other women’s wild cards included fellow Americans Carol Young Suh Lee, Reese Brantmeier, and 17-year-old Thea Frodin, plus France’s Leolia Jeanjean and Australian Taylah Preston.
On the men’s side, France’s Gael Monfils, who turns 40 in September and is retiring at the end of the season, and Australian Alexei Popyrin were among the wild card selections. Others included Americans Martin Damm Jr., Michael Zheng, JJ Wolf, Sebastian Gorzny, and 18-year-old Jack Kennedy.
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