Sabalenka stops US Open match over cannabis smell

Aryna Sabalenka was serving in the second game of her US Open third-round match when a strong cannabis smell became impossible to ignore. The world number one stopped and alerted umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore.

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Someone is smoking weed. Do you mind? Because it's so strong.

"Someone is smoking weed," Sabalenka told the umpire. "Do you mind? Because it's so strong."

Play resumed, and Sabalenka beat Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4. Afterward, she said she was not objecting to people enjoying themselves, but wanted the smoking kept away from the court. "You can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please not 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."

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You can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please not do it around the tennis courts.

The smell has troubled players at Flushing Meadows before. Smoking is prohibited inside the grounds, while recreational cannabis is legal for adults over 21 in New York. Smoke from the surrounding Flushing Meadows-Corona Park can drift into the tennis complex and onto the courts. Sabalenka said she had smelled cannabis at the tournament previously, but never so strongly during a match.

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

Jessica Pegula also reached the fourth round after recovering from a slow start to beat former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Pegula, the 2024 runner-up, said she had to dig deep against an opponent she never feels comfortable facing.

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I was going to have to dig deep. I'm glad I was able to find somewhere there in the second set to turn it around.