Iga Swiatek asked the US Open organiser to change the tennis ball policy.

The 21-year-old Iga Swiatek, who won the French Open in October, told Reuters that she had spoken to USTA chief executive Katrina Adams about the issue.

“I just asked her why is it like this? I’m not comfortable with it,” Swiatek said after her opening match at the WTA event in Lyon, France. “She explained to me that it’s because of the TV and the sponsors, they want to have a different colour for the women’s tennis. I don’t know, I’m not a business woman, I’m just a tennis player.”

The US Open is the only grand slam tournament that does not use the same ball for both the men’s and women’s singles events.

The USTA has said that it is proud to offer “equal prize money, equal playing conditions and comparable televising schedules” for the men’s and women’s events.

But Swiatek, who is sponsored by Adidas, said she would prefer to play with the same ball as the men. “I’m just a tennis player, I would like to play with the same ball,” she said. “But I understand that there are some things behind it.”

Iga’s comments come after French Open champion Rafael Nadal and US Open winner Naomi Osaka both called for change at grand slam tournaments.

Nadal, who is sponsored by Babolat, said he would like to see the use of different balls at Wimbledon and the French Open. “For me, personally, I am more than happy to play with any ball,” Nadal said. “But I understand that some players have some preference.” Osaka, who is sponsored by Nike, said she would like to see the balls at the US Open changed to a white colour.

“I feel like if they’re going to be using a different ball, then I don’t understand why they can’t just use the same ball for both, you know?” Osaka said. “It would just make more sense to me, because I feel like when I play with the yellow ball, I can see it better.”

The USTA said it would continue to consult with players on the issue. “We have had discussions with Iga and other players about this topic and will continue to do so,” a USTA spokesperson said.

“We are always looking for ways to improve the player experience at the US Open and will continue to consult with our players on this and other topics.” “I don’t really like this ball, I have to say. I think it’s too light and it doesn’t bounce as high as I would like it to,” she told reporters.

“So I think the US Open should maybe consider changing the balls because I think with these ones it’s just way too easy to make mistakes. I think the ball is flying a lot and it’s not bouncing as high, so I think that makes the matches a little bit more unpredictable and I don’t like that. I like when I know what to expect from the bounce."

Swiatek, who is the reigning French Open champion, admitted she had struggled to get used to the different conditions in New York. “It’s tough. I mean, I came from playing on clay and it was completely different story. I was adjusting my game a little bit but I think I’m still not there yet,” she said.

“It feels like I’m making more mistakes than I usually do, so I have to work on that a little bit for sure. But I think it will come with more matches.”