Roger Federer. AP FILE PHOTO
NEW YORK – Roger Federer is seeded No. 7 for the U.S. Open, his first slot outside the top three at any Grand Slam tournament since he was 13th at Flushing Meadows in 2002.
Federer’s ranking dropped two slots to seventh on Monday, and the U.S. Tennis Association’s seedings followed the ATP standings.
Federer’s record 17 Grand Slam titles include five at the U.S. Open. He’s among five former champions in the men’s field, including No. 1-seeded Novak Djokovic, No. 2 Rafael Nadal, and No. 3 Andy Murray, who won the 2012 title.
Federer was seeded No. 1 at 18 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments from 2004-08.
The U.S. Open women’s seedings will be announced Tuesday; the draw is scheduled for Thursday.
Play at the year’s last major tournament starts next week.