The number-one tennis players in the world have been named the top seeds for the U.S. Open, which begins next Monday in New York.
Three-time defending champion Roger Federer of Switzerland is seeded first for the fourth consecutive year. Justine Henin, who won the U.S. Open in 2003 and was the runner-up to Russian Maria Sharapova last year, tops the women's seedings.
Sharapova is seeded second in the women's field, followed by Serbian Jelena Jankovic, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova - the 2004 U.S. Open champion - and Serbian Ana Ivanovic.
For the men, three-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal of Spain is seeded second. The third seed is Serbian Novak Djokovic, fourth is Russian Nikolay Davydenko and fifth is American Andy Roddick, who won the 2003 U.S. Open and lost to Federer in last year's final.
Federer, who also won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, will be bidding for his 12th Grand Slam title and will try to become the first man since the 1920s to win the U.S. Open championship four years in a row.
Thirteen players who have won Grand Slam titles are among the 32 men and 32 women seeded for the last major tennis tournament of the year.
The U.S. Open followed the ATP and WTA rankings to determine the seedings. The draw for the tournament is set for Wednesday.
