“When I first arrived in New York from a small farming village in Switzerland, everything felt too big. The city. The noise. The energy. The crowds. The lights,” Wawrinka wrote on Tuesday.
“But, year after year, New York slowly became one of my favourite places in the world.
“This city challenged me. It pushed me. It brought something out of me that few places ever could.
“I experienced some of the strongest emotions of my career here. The battles, the late nights, the incredible atmosphere, the love from the crowd… memories that will stay with me forever.
“Winning the US Open, in the city that never sleeps, will forever be one of the greatest moments of my life.”
Wawrinka was one of the few men’s players to win major singles trophies during the ‘Big Three’ era of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
The former world number three’s US Open win came after victories at the 2014 Australian Open and 2015 French Open.
This will be his 18th appearance in New York since his main draw debut in 2005.
Wildcards are given to players who did not qualify automatically for the tournament by ranking. Wawrinka has fallen outside the top 100 after struggling with injuries and form in recent years.
Switzerland also does not host a Grand Slam, with tournaments reserving reciprocal wildcards for one another. Reciprocal wildcards are assigned by the national federations and not the US Open.
France’s Gael Monfils, who is also retiring this season, was given a wildcard through the French Tennis Federation, which organises the French Open.
The US Open gets under way on Sunday, 30 August at Flushing Meadows.
