Aryna Sabalenka interrupts US Open third
World number one tennis player Aryna Sabalenka briefly interrupted her US Open match to complain about the smell of cannabis drifting onto the court. While she won the match, the incident highlights ongoing issues with external odors affecting play at Flushing Meadows.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the challenges of hosting major sporting events in urban environments where local laws regarding recreational substances may conflict with professional athletic standards.
Aryna Sabalenka pushed past the distraction to complete a straight-sets win over Kamilla Rakhimova. ( Getty Images/USTA: Jeff Dean )
World number one Aryna Sabalenka halted her US Open match against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova after claiming she could smell cannabis.
The odour of cannabis is common at Flushing Meadows.
Sabalenka put the distraction to the side to win 6-3, 6-4 and move through to the fourth round.
Link copied Share Share article Aryna Sabalenka had an unusual interruption during her US Open third-round match, stopping play to alert the umpire to a strong smell of cannabis drifting onto Louis Armstrong Stadium court.
The world number one, who secured a 6-3, 6-4 win against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova, raised the issue during her second service game, pointing out the smell before play resumed.
"Someone is smoking weed," top seed Sabalenka told umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore as she was serving 30-0 up.
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