The U.S. Tennis Association has seeded Serena Williams No. 17 for the U.S. Open, nine spots higher than her current ranking of No. 26.
Williams is one place behind her older sister, Venus.
The draw for the tournament is today play begins Monday.
This will be the third Grand Slam tournament of Williams' return to competition since she gave birth to a daughter during the 2017 U.S. Open last September, then dealt with health complications.
The 23-time major champion, who turns 37 next month, was the runner-up at Wimbledon in July.