Aryna Sabalenka’s third-round victory at the US Open was briefly interrupted on Friday when the world No. 1 asked the umpire to address a strong smell of cannabis inside Louis Armstrong Stadium. The unusual moment came during Sabalenka’s second service game against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova. Having raced to a 3-0 lead, the top seed stopped play before it could continue and brought the issue to chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore.
“Someone is smoking weed,” Sabalenka said while leading 30-0. “Would you mind doing so, because it’s so strong?” she stated further.
After winning the match, Sabalenka explained that her complaint was not about spectators enjoying themselves. Her concern was the effect the smell could have on players competing at the highest level.
“I was like, Guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please don’t do it around the tennis courts,” said Sabalenka.
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“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” she added.
The smell of cannabis has previously been reported by players at Flushing Meadows, making it an unwelcome distraction during the tournament. Smoking is prohibited inside the US Open grounds, while recreational cannabis is legal for adults over 21 in New York.
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Sabalenka suggested that the wind may have carried the odour from outside the tennis complex or from the surrounding Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
“That strong, yeah. Also, because it was a bit windy. I don’t know if it was coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium,” said Sabalenka.
“I just hope they are a bit more aware of that stuff. Come on, guys. I don’t think there is anything else to say about weed. I’m just asking people not to smoke it next to the tennis court,” she added.
The interruption was brief, and Sabalenka soon returned to the task at hand. She went on to defeat Rakhimova in straight sets, but the incident provided an unexpected talking point after the match.
For Sabalenka, the brief interruption did little to derail her progress. The defending champion continued her US Open campaign with a straight-sets win, while the cannabis complaint became one of the more unusual moments of the day at Flushing Meadows.
