LI's Noah Rubin receives wild card into U.S. Open main draw

Noah Rubin’s hard work to recover from two injury-tainted seasons paid off on Tuesday when the USTA gave him a wild card into the U.S. Open main draw.

The 22-year-old from Merrick is  ranked a career-best No. 139. He is in the main draw for the second time, after receiving a wild card in 2014 as the USTA boys 18s national champion, the same year he won the Wimbledon boys' singles title.

Rubin’s 2018 season includes a title at the $75,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Tallahassee, Florida, which clinched the Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge and earned him a berth in the French Open main draw. He also scored the biggest win of his career by knocking off No. 9-ranked John Isner at Washington on Aug. 2. Rubin had lost to Isner in three close sets at the French Open.

Among other wild cards issued on Tuesday was one given to 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka, fighting back from knee surgery that forced him to miss the Open last year.

“I’m extremely excited to be able to play a main draw slam in my backyard,”  Rubin said. “I feel ready and my game, mind and body are in the best places they have been in my career. I am ready for this tournament.”

Former Open finalist Victoria Azarenka and 2004 Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova also were given wild cards.

The Open begins its two-week run on Aug. 27.