Serena ready to contend

Williams has won two hardcourt titles in the build up to the tournament, but last time out in Cincinnati withdrew due to a recurrence of the foot problem which, combined with blood clots on her lungs, had forced her out of the game for 11 months.

However, Williams told the press at Flushing Meadows on Monday: "I feel really good. It's been a good summer, so I feel solid.

"Coming back and playing a lot of matches was actually really good but it was also a lot.

"I'm really enjoying it now more than anything, and I'm having a lot of fun out there. I didn't play last year, so I don't have anything to lose here. That's been a new position I've been in and it's been really fun."

Williams ranked plummeted tom 175 following her lengthy spell on the sidelines but her wins in Stanford and Toronto - along with a decent run at Wimbledon where she lost to Marion Bartoli in round four - have brought it back up to 29th.

US Open organisers stick to the rankings list when it comes to seedings so, with world number three Clijsters out through injury, Williams is the 28th seed and could face fourth seed Victoria Azarenka in the third round.

Tirade

However, she has no problem with that.

"I think it's fine," said the 29-year-old, a three-time winner at Flushing Meadows.

"I'm 29 in the world, so I don't see where else I should be seeded. The rules changed. I know, back in the day, if you were out for a while they used to have these injury rules, but I believe they got rid of that."

Williams also left no doubt that her infamous tirade against a lineswoman at the event in 2009 is not something she is prepared to revisit on her first return to the tournament.

The American lost her semi-final against Kim Clijsters on a point penalty two years ago after verbally abusing the official over a foot-fault call.

Williams missed last year's tournament because of a foot injury and in a sarcastic response on Monday she made it clear it is not something she has dwelt on.

She said: "I just remember I lost, and that was that. I got really popular. A lot of people were telling me they thought I was super cool, that they'd never seen me so intense. So, yeah, it was awesome."

Pushed further, Williams added: "I don't think about it. Oh my God, that was two years ago. This is two years later."

Williams' first match in New York sees her face Serbia's Bojana Jovanovski.