Aryna Sabalenka Complains of Strong Cannabis Smell During US Open Match

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her third-round match at the US Open to complain about a strong smell of cannabis drifting into the stadium, later joking that she might "get high" herself if the issue persists throughout the tournament.

The Belarusian was competing against Kamilla Rakhimova in Louis Armstrong Stadium when she noticed the scent. Leading 3-0 in the opening set, Sabalenka approached chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to address the distraction. Despite the brief interruption, Sabalenka maintained her composure to secure a straight-sets victory, defeating Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round without dropping a set.

Umpire Intervention and Post-Match Comments

During the first set, Sabalenka called over the chair umpire to report the smell. "Someone is smoking weed, do you mind … because it’s so strong," Sabalenka told Asderaki-Moore. Tournament officials conducted a brief search of the crowd but were unable to locate the source of the smell.

In her post-match press conference, Sabalenka clarified that she does not object to people consuming cannabis in their own time, but requested they avoid doing so near the court. "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," she said. "It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best."

When asked by a reporter how "high" her level was compared to other Grand Slam tournaments, Sabalenka laughed and made a joke referencing the persistent odor. "High? The level?" Sabalenka said. "Now I can only hear weed stuff. If they’re gonna keep smoking I might get high."

Sabalenka confirmed this was the strongest cannabis smell she had encountered while playing in New York. She noted that windy conditions during the match made it difficult to determine the exact origin of the scent. "I don’t know if it was coming from the crowd or the outside because wind blows it into the stadium," she explained, adding, "I just hope they’re gonna be a bit more aware of that stuff."

Context of Cannabis at the US Open

While cannabis is legal in New York, smoking is strictly prohibited inside the US Open tournament grounds. Nonetheless, the smell has become a recurring topic at the event in recent years. Earlier in the tournament, British player Katie Boulter also reported smelling cannabis while competing on the outer courts, specifically noting the scent on Court 17.

The distraction did not hinder Sabalenka's on-court performance. The two-time defending US Open champion delivered a dominant serving display, hitting 10 aces and facing zero break points during her match against Rakhimova.

The victory is a positive step for Sabalenka, who has been searching for consistency. She has not reached a tournament final since winning back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami in March. Sabalenka, who has held the top ranking for 97 weeks, must win her third consecutive US Open title to retain the No. 1 spot, provided world No. 2 Elena Rybakina loses before the semi-finals.

Sabalenka will face American player Taylor Townsend in the round of 16. Townsend reached the fourth round for the second consecutive year after defeating 15th seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3.