Cannabis smell interrupts Sabalenka’s US Open match against Rakhimova

Aryna Sabalenka was leading Kamilla Rakhimova 3-0 when a strong smell of cannabis briefly interrupted their US Open third-round match at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

During her second service game on Friday, the world number one raised the issue with umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore. “Someone is smoking weed,” Sabalenka said while serving at 30-0. “Would you mind to… because it’s so strong.” Play then resumed, and Sabalenka went on to beat Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova in straight sets.

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Someone is smoking weed. Would you mind to… because it’s so strong.

Sabalenka later said she was not objecting to people enjoying themselves. She wanted the smoking kept away from the court. “I was like, Guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please to not do it around the tennis courts,” she told reporters with a smile. “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.”

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I was like, Guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please to not do it around the tennis courts.

The odor has become a familiar, though unwelcome, feature at Flushing Meadows, where players have complained about the distraction before. Smoking is prohibited inside the grounds, but recreational cannabis is legal for adults aged 21 and over in New York. Smoke from the surrounding Flushing Meadows-Corona Park can drift into the tennis complex.

Sabalenka said she had smelled cannabis earlier in the tournament, but never so strongly during a match. She attributed the intensity partly to Friday’s wind and said she did not know whether the smell came from the crowd or outside the stadium. “I just hope they are a bit more aware of that stuff,” she said, later adding: “I’m just asking people not to smoke it next to the tennis court.”

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It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.