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Australians Max Purcell and Storm Sanders have been given wildcards to compete in the US Open singles main draws, along with the great Venus Williams.
Australians Max Purcell and Storm Sanders have been rewarded for their recent sterling efforts at the Olympics with prized wildcards which will enable them to make their US Open singles debuts.
Venus Williams, at the age of 41, is the biggest name beneficiary of the largesse of the US Tennis Association (USTA) and will compete in an amazing 23rd main draw at Flushing Meadows.
Purcell, 23, who beat one of the world's best, Felix Auger-Aliassime, in the first round in Tokyo, will compete in only his second men's singles main draw at a grand slam, after last year's Australian Open.
Sanders, the effervescent 26-year-old left-hander who teamed up with Ash Barty to reach the women's doubles quarter-finals at the Games, has been given the chance to compete in her maiden singles at the US Open thanks to the reciprocal arrangement between Tennis Australia and the USTA.
It's become a big year for world No.206 Purcell, who'd been perceived as a doubles specialist and was finding it difficult to get into ATP tournaments until a stellar semi-final run as a qualifier in the pre-Wimbledon grasscourt tournament in Eastbourne, a career-best performance.
Then drafted in as a last-minute replacement for COVID-19 hit Alex de Minaur in the singles at the Olympics, he took advantage with his spectacular straight sets win over Canadian top-20 player Auger-Aliassime.
Sydneysider Purcell has twice previously attempted to get through qualifying to make it to the US Open main draws but had fallen short.
Sanders, ranked 139th, and her friend Barty came perilously close to earning a shot at a medal in Tokyo - losing a super tiebreaker to eventual champions Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.
Two-time US Open champion Williams hasn't missed the grand slam event since 2006, when she was sidelined with a left wrist injury, and there was no way the USTA weren't going to help one of the game's legends.
The 2000 and 2001 Flushing Meadows winner has slipped to 112th in the rankings, outside the top 104 who receive direct entry into the women's main draw.
Former semi-finalist, American CoCo Vandeweghe, who's making a successful comeback after injury woes, is another wildcard recipient.
On the men's side, 20-year-old Americans Jenson Brooksby and Brandon Nakashima have been rewarded for successful 2021 campaigns while Jack Sock, who's had his struggles with injuries, will also be in the main line-up when the event starts on August 30.
