WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The USTA has announced that world No. 1 and three-time defending U.S. Open champion Serena Williams has been named the top seed in women's singles at the 2015 U.S. Open.

This is the fourth time that Serena Williams has been the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Open. Following Williams will be No. 2 seed Simona Halep, of Romania, a 2014 French Open finalist; No. 3 and 2006 U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova,of Russia; No. 4 and 2014 U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki,of Denmark; No. 5 Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014; and No. 6 Lucie Safarova, of the Czech Republic, this year's French Open finalist.

The 2015 U.S. Open will be played Aug. 31-Sept. 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.