US Open wildcards for former champion Hewitt and cancer-survivor Duval

Hewitt, the 2001 champion, received his wildcard via a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia, which will grant an American a wild card into next year's Australian Open, and was among 16 players who received wildcard entries.

Former champion Lleyton Hewitt will enjoy a New York farewell after receiving a wildcard entry into the US Open, it was announced on Tuesday.

Hewitt, the 2001 champion who plans to retire in January, was among 16 players who received wildcard entries into the main draw from the US Tennis Association.

In addition, cancer survivor Vicky Duval benefited from a wild card entry into the qualifying tournament.

Australian veteran Hewitt, who beat Pete Sampras to win the 2001 US Open, received his wild card via a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia, which will grant an American a wild card into next year's Australian Open.

Hewitt, 34, has slipped to 162 in the rankings and is set to make his 15th appearance in the US Open at Flushing Meadows, where he was runner-up to Roger Federer in 2004.

He says he "most likely" will retire after the Australian Open in January.

The other US Open men's wild cards went to Americans Ryan Harrison, 18-year-old Jared Donaldson, 2011 French Open boys' champion Bjorn Fratangelo, Austin Krajicek, Ryan Shane and Frances Tiafoe, plus Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France.

American teenager Duval, who pulled off a huge upset in the first round of the 2013 US Open when she beat 2011 champion Samantha Stosur, was among eight players who received a wild card entry for the women's August 25-28 qualifying tournament.

Duval, 19, returned to competition only last week in Pennsylvania following a year-long recovery from Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, a former world number 30 who is currently ranked 99th, and Oceane Dodin of France were among the eight players who received wild card entries into the main women's draw at Flushing Meadows.

The other six players were Americans Louisa Chirico, 2012 US Open girls' singles champion Samantha Crawford, Nicole Gibbs, Sofia Kenin, Jamie Loeb and Sachia Vickery.

The US Open will be played from August 31 to September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York.