The 2016 champion, who was hoping for a wildcard a decade after he won at Flushing Meadows, is no longer ranked high enough to qualify directly for the tournament, and the US Tennis Association decided against what would have been a popular decision.
"Thank you, New York Thank you, US Open," Wawrinka wrote in a social media post along with emojis of the Statue of Liberty and a tennis racquet.
"Thank you to every single fan who supported me, pushed me, believed in me and shared all these emotions with me over the years. Forever grateful. Forever New York."
A three-time grand slam winner, Wawrinka worked wonders in an era when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were dominating tennis.
He beat Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final and Djokovic the following year to win the French Open. 'Stan the Man' then downed Djokovic again in 2016 to win the title in New York, though he wasn't able to defend it after two knee surgeries the following year.
There was some criticism aimed at the USTA when it awarded its final wild card to American Patrick Kypson, ranked No.115, instead of Wawrinka, yet the 41-year-old continued to show only appreciation in his post.
"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. But year after year New York slowly became one of my favourite places in the world," he wrote.
"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."
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