Serena Williams commits to Bank of the West Classic

Serena Williams won the 2012 Bank of the West Classic without dropping a set. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) Two-time champion Serena Williams has committed

Serena Williams won the 2012 Bank of the West Classic without dropping a set. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Two-time champion Serena Williams has committed to the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., in July, the tournament announced.

The top-ranked Williams won the Premier-level event in 2011 and '12 but did not play last year. The tournament, which runs from July 28-Aug. 3, comes three weeks after Wimbledon and launches the U.S. Open Series.

Williams joins a 28-player field scheduled to include defending champion Dominika Cibulkova, who made the Australian Open final in January, and Ana Ivanovic, who upset Serena in the fourth round in Melbourne.