Melbourne, Australia, 19 July 2013 | tennis.com.au

Sam Stosur, Bernard Tomic, Lleyton Hewitt and Marinko Matosevic have been directly accepted into the main draw of the US Open, beginning Monday 26 August in New York City.

They will take their place among stacked draws at the year’s final Grand Slam event, featuring all of the world’s top 100 men and 98 of the top 100 women.

Stosur, the women’s champion at Flushing Meadows in 2011, is one of five former US Open winners in the field, the others being Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

She also reached the quarterfinals in 2010 and 2012, last year coming within two points of upsetting top seed and eventual finalist Victoria Azarenka in a thrilling battle.

Hewitt, the men’s winner back in 2001, joins an illustrious list of former champions in the draw including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro.

Currently ranked No.13, Stosur is the only Aussie female to gain direct acceptance into the US Open in 2013.

However, several of her compatriots could join her by way of qualifying, and one will also be entitled to a main draw wildcard thanks to a reciprocal arrangement between the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and Tennis Australia.

Hewitt, the second-ranked Australian male at world No.65, is joined by Tomic (No.41) and Matosevic (No.73).

That contingent will be bolstered thanks to the USTA reciprocal wildcard, and could grow even further if any Aussies are successful in the pre-tournament qualifying draw.

The US Open will be held on 26 August – 8 September at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in Flushing Meadows, New York.

Andy Murray and Serena Williams are the defending champions.