NEW YORK — Rafael Nadal was seeded No. 1 for the U.S. Open on Tuesday, making it the first time since January 2004 that a man other than Roger Federer has held the top spot at a Grand Slam tennis tournament.
Ana Ivanovic is the No. 1 seed on the women’s side. The tournament begins Aug. 25, and the draw will be announced Thursday.
The U.S. Open followed Monday’s rankings for its seedings, and Nadal replaced Federer at No. 1 for the first time this week. The Olympic, French Open and Wimbledon champion will try for his first U.S. Open title — he’s never been beyond the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows and lost in the fourth round last year.
Federer, meanwhile, has won the past four U.S. Open championships. He had been seeded No. 1 at every major event since Andy Roddick at the 2004 Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia was seeded third, followed by David Ferrer of Spain and Nikolay Davydenko of Russia. Roddick was seeded eighth and James Blake, who beat Federer at Beijing, was ninth.
Ivanovic won her first Grand Slam title this year at the French Open. Fellow Serbian star Jelena Jankovic is seeded second, followed by Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, Serena Williams and Olympic champion Elena Dementieva of Russia.
Venus Williams is seventh and Lindsay Davenport is 23rd. The last two U.S. Open women’s champions are out of the upcoming tournament — Justine Henin retired and Maria Sharapova is injured.
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