US Open: Serena Williams given No 17 seeding nine places higher than her WTA ranking as part of return

The 23-time Grand Slam champion is bidding to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record as she returns to the US Open for the first time in two years

Serena Williams has been seeded at No 17 for the US Open (Reuters)

Serena Williams got a boost in the seedings for the US Open by being placed at No 17 in the women’s singles, nine spots above her current ranking.

The US Tennis Association's decision, announced Tuesday along with all the other seeds for the main draws of women's and men's singles, means Williams avoids a possible match-up against one of the top eight players in the third round.

It also sets up a possible match-up at that stage against her older sister, Venus, who is No 16, her ranking this week.

Indeed, all of the other seeds — 32 women, 32 men — were positioned based on the WTA and ATP rankings, as usual.

This will be the third Grand Slam tournament of Williams' return to competition since her daughter was born during the 2017 US Open last September. Williams dealt with health complications from childbirth, including dangerous blood clots.

The USTA already had said in June that it would institute a policy that would take into account if a pregnancy affected a player's ranking. The issue arose when Williams — a 23-time major champion and former No 1 — was not seeded when she returned to action at the French Open in May, her first Grand Slam tournament in more than a year. She was, however, seeded at Wimbledon, put at No 25 while ranked 183rd.

Williams wound up as the runner-up at the All England Club, losing to Angelique Kerber there last month. The run to the final allowed Williams to rise to No 28. In her next match, Williams had the most lopsided loss of her career, beaten 6-1, 6-0 by Johanna Konta in San Jose, California.

Six-time US Open winner Williams was partly rewarded for her record at Flushing Meadows (AP)

USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier said the placement of Williams was determined by "balancing a variety of factors, including her return to competition following the birth of her daughter, her recent hard court performance this summer, and recognition of her achievements at the US Open."

He added that the USTA thought the decision "recognises Serena, and is fair to the remaining seeded players."

Williams, who turns 37 next month, has won the US Open six times, most recently in 2014. She is one Grand Slam title away from equalling Margaret Court's all-time record of 24; Williams already owns the mark for most major singles trophies in the half-century professional era.

Williams reached the final of Wimbledon earlier in the summer (AFP/Getty)

The draw for the US Open is Thursday in New York. Main-draw play begins in Flushing Meadows on Monday.

AP