"Those balls are horrible, they are getting more & more light; I don't get why they are different from men" - Iga Swiatek minces no words about her hatred for the balls used at US Open 

After winning her opening match at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati earlier today, Iga Swiatek was asked whether she likes the balls that will be used at the US Open on the women's circuit.

The top-ranked star didn't shy away from expressing her dislike for the extremely light balls, saying that women players today possess a strong gaming style and most of the players complaining are in the top-10 rankings.

"Oh, my God. Well, honestly, I don't like them," Swiatek said. I think those balls are horrible, especially after like three games of really hard play, they are getting more and more light. They fly like crazy. We have really powerful games right now. It's not like 10 years ago when I think girls, except Serena, played slower. I know that there are players who complain, and many of them are top 10."

At the US Open, tennis balls for men and women are not the same. While men play with heavy Wilson balls, women will hit lighter and faster ones. Swiatek continued her rant, stating that she couldn't find balls similar to those for women in Europe.

"I don't know why they are different from men. 15 years ago, probably women had some elbow injuries because the balls were heavier and they changed them to women's balls, but right now we are so physically well prepared that I don't think it would happen. Plus, we can't get those balls in Europe. When we buy them at store, they are totally different than the tournament balls. When I'm practicing with US Open balls at home, I'm practicing with men's ones," Swiatek added.

Although the Pole was obviously frustrated with the situation, she accepted it and said that since the conditions were the same for everyone, they were trying to deal with them.

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Iga Swiatek downs Sloane Stephens in the Cincinnati Open 2R

Iga Swiatek during her first match in Cincinnati

Iga Swiatek began her campaign for a sixth WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open with a straight-sets win over Sloane Stephens. The World No. 1 from Poland, who has already lifted six singles titles in 2022, registered her 50th win this season with only six losses to go with it.

Swiatek beat the 2017 US Open champion 6-4, 7-5 in their first-ever meeting. Both players created 11 break point opportunities each and the 21-year-old Pole converted six of them, compared to Stephens' four. The two-time Grand Slam champion finished the match with 17 winners and 25 unforced errors. America's 57th-ranked Stephens hit no more than nine winners.

Swiatek's next opponent is another American player, Madison Keys, who defeated Yulia Putintseva and Jeļena Ostapenko in straight sets in her first two matches.