US Open 2016: Serena Williams top seed at Flushing Meadows

The USTA have announced that world No. 1 and six-time US Open champion Serena Williams has been named the top seed in women’s singles at the 2016 US Open.

This is the fifth time thatWilliams has been the No. 1 seed at the US Open. She won the title on three of the prior occasions (2002, 2013, and 2014).

Following Williams will be No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber, of Germany, the 2016 Australian Open champion; No. 3 Garbiñe Muguruza,of Spain, the 2016 French Open champion; No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, a 2016 Australian Open semifinalist; No. 5 and 2015 US Open semifinalist Simona Halep,of Romania; No. 6 and two-time US Open champion Venus Williams, of the United States; No. 7 and 2015 US Open finalist Roberta Vinci, of Italy; and No. 8 Madison Keys, of the United States, a 2015 Australian Open semifinalist.

2004 US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, of Russia, is seeded 9th and 2011 champion Samantha Stosur, of Australia, is seeded 16th.

Last year, Italy’s Flavia Pennetta won her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, defeating compatriot Roberta Vinci. Pennetta then announced her retirement following the final. This year, world No. 1 Serena Williams is looking to break the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era. At Wimbledon, Williams tied Steffi Graf for the most major titles when Williams won her 22nd Grand Slam singles title.

No. 24 Sloane Stephens and No.29 Coco Vandeweghe join the Williams sisters and Keys as seeded American players.

Victoria Azarenka, who would have been the No. 7 seed, will not be competing in this year’s US Open after announcing her pregnancy.

The US Open followed the WTA rankings released Monday to determine the women’s singles seeds. This is the 16th consecutive year that the US Open seeded 32 players in both singles events.

The US Open will run from 29 August until 11 September at Flushing Meadows.

2016 US Open women’s singles seeds

1. Serena Williams, United States
2. Angelique Kerber, Germany
3. Garbiñe Muguruza, Spain
4. Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland
5. Simona Halep, Romania
6. Venus Williams, United States
7. Roberta Vinci, Italy
8. Madison Keys, United States
9. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia
10. Karolina Pliskova, Czech Republic
11. Carla Suarez Navarro, Spain
12. Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia
13. Johanna Konta, Great Britain
14. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic
15. Timea Bacsinszky, Switzerland
16. Samantha Stosur, Australia
17. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia
18. Barbora Strycova, Czech Republic
19. Elena Vesnina, Russia
20. Kiki Bertens, Netherlands
21. Irina-Camelia Begu, Romania
22. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine
23. Daria Kasatkina, Russia
24. Sloane Stephens, United States
25. Belinda Bencic, Switzerland
26. Caroline Garcia, France
27. Laura Siegemund, Germany
28. Sara Errani, Italy
29. Coco Vandeweghe, United States
30. Ana Ivanovic, Serbia
31. Misaki Doi, Japan
32. Timea Babos, Hungary