August
Former US Open champions Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens lead the wild card list.
Richard PagliaroAugust 18, 20263 minute read
By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Photo credit: Elsa/Getty
Venus Williams will play US Open singles.
The 46-year-old Venus has received a wild card into the US Open singles main draw, the USTA announced today.
The US Open main draw starts on Sunday, August 30th.
This may well be a farewell to Flushing Meadows for former No. 1 Venus, who captured back-to-back US Open singles championships in 2000 and 2001.
Serena Williams is not on the 2026 US Open wild card list though there is one final wild card available and it is believed the USTA is waiting to hear from former world No. 1 Serena on whether she plans to play.
Four-time Olympic gold-medal champion Venus Williams has suffered four consecutive US Open first-round losses, including a 3-6, 6-2, 1-6 loss to world No. 11 Karolina Muchova in a night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium last August. Venus Williams, whose last Flushing Meadows singles win was a 6-1, 6-0 win over Zheng Saisai in the 2019 opening-round, partnered Leylah Fernandez to the US Open doubles quarterfinals last summer.
While there has been wide speculation the Williams sisters, who lost to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in Cincinnati doubles last night, will play the US Open doubles tournament together, neither sister has confirmed that.
The Qualifying tournament will be played August 24-27 on the National Tennis Center’s field courts, with all matches free to attend during Fan Week.
US Open Women’s Singles Wild Cards:
MAIN DRAW
Venus Williams, 46, seven-time Grand Slam and two-time US Open women’s singles champion
Sloane Stephens, 33, 2017 US Open women’s singles champion
Carol Young Suh Lee, 24, US Open Wild Card Challenge Winner
Reese Brantmeier, 21, American Collegiate Player Wild Card Playoff Winner
Thea Frodin, 17, USTA Girls’ 18s National Champion
Leolia Jeanjean, 31, awarded via reciprocal agreement with FFT
Taylah Preston, 20, awarded via reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia
To Be Announced
QUALIFYING
Janae Preston, 16, USTA Girls’ 18s singles finalist
Katrina Scott, 22, American Collegiate Player Wild Card Challenge Finalist
Caroline Dolehide, 27, former world No. 41 and current No. 246
Ayana Akli, 25, current world No. 266
Annika Penickova, 16, former Top-20 world-ranked junior
Julieta Pareja, 17, USTA Girls’ 18s singles semifinalist, current world No. 290
Kristina Penickova, 16, former world junior No. 1
Savannah Broadus, 23, current world No. 307
US Open Qualifying Wild Card Challenge Winner
The US Open Qualifying Wild Card Challenge is a new competition featuring rising American men and women competing for a wild card in the US Open Qualifying Tournament.
The Challenge will feature four men and four women competing in six total matches – men’s and women’s semifinals and finals – with the winners receiving a wild card into Qualifying August 24-27. Matches will begin at 10 a.m. on August 23 and will be played on Courts 4-7 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
US Open Qualifying Wild Card Challenge Women’s Field
Chukwumelije Clarke, 17, USTA Girls’ 18s singles semifinalist
Welles Newman, 16, Top-30 world-ranked junior
Jordyn Hazelitt,16, Top-30 world-ranked junior
Kennedy Drenser-Hagmann, 17, recent World Tennis J200 champion (Bogota)