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What Are Wildcards In Tennis?
Wildcards are opportunities for players whose ranking is not high enough to qualify automatically in the tournament. When a player receives a wildcard, he/she is usually directly accepted into the main tournament draw.
How Wildcards Are Awarded?
The amount of wildcards that can be given depends on the tournament size. Bigger tournaments such as Grand Slams and some ATP/WTA events can award up to 8 wildcards. In smaller tournaments, the number of wildcards can vary from 2-4. There are many applicants for wildcards because it allows the player a straight entry to the main draw of the tournament.
Wildcards are awarded by the tournament organizer to different types of players such as:
- Young promising players (Future players)
- Local players (Based on the tournament’s host country)
- Winners of wildcard tournaments (by winning a preliminary tournament, a player gets a wildcard)
- Fan favourites
For example, if a tournament is hosted in France, the tournament’s wildcards are likely given to young French players. This way local players have a chance to gain valuable experience in big professional tournaments.
Wildcard Swaps
Some wildcards can be swapped between tournaments. Some national tennis organizations such as USTA (United States Tennis Association) and FTA (French Tennis Federation) have an agreement where one wildcard from the French Open goes to an American player and one wildcard from the US Open goes to a French player.
