Serena Williams’ latest surge couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.

The one-time No. 1 women’s tennis player has won her last two tournaments — the Rogers Cup and the Bank of the West Classic — and has recently jumped from No. 80 to No. 31 in the WTA rankings.

Now if only Williams can carry that momentum into the U.S. Open, which kicks off Monday. Many believe Williams played so well in the two hard-court tournament wins that she should be one of the favorites in the U.S. Open, where she has been champion three times.

Williams, who has won 13 major championships, comes into the U.S. Open seeded No. 28. The high seed means the 29-year-old could face one of the top eight players in the tournament by the third round.

“It hurts the field, is what it does. It really doesn't hurt Serena as much as it hurts the other players. One of the top seeds will get her in the third round,” tennis announcer and 18-time major champion Chris Evert said in an Associated Press story. “I think they could have made a much better judgment call.”

Whatever the case, Williams seems poised to make an impact in her first U.S. Open competition since 2009 when she infamously had a meltdown on a line judge. Williams missed the 2010 U.S. Open after sitting out for almost a year with a foot injury. Williams has just played in four tournaments since returning to tennis this summer.

Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris

(Photo: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)