Serena Williams to play 2 events in run-up to US Open

Serena Williams of the United States waves as she celebrates defeating Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova in their women’s singles match, on the third day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday July 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

MONTREAL — Serena Williams will play in the Rogers Cup next month at Montreal after she competes in next week’s new Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, California.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, is returning to the Bay Area for what is the former Stanford WTA stop that moved to San Jose State University for the first time. The event runs from July 30 to Aug. 5.

Rogers Cup tournament officials announced Tuesday that Williams received a wild card into that event, which begins Aug. 3.

Her ranking jumped from No. 181 to No. 28 after her run at Wimbledon. The 36-year-old has played in four tournaments this year after giving birth last year.

The Rogers Cup is a tuneup for the U.S. Open. Williams last played it in 2014, when she reached the semifinals. She won the event three times when it was played in Toronto.

Following her loss in the Wimbledon final to Angelique Kerber, Williams said she had proven to herself that she could still compete to win Grand Slams. Her next Grand Slam title would tie her with Margaret Court for the most with 24. She already has the most major trophies in the professional era.