Sabalenka survives despite ‘tricky’ marijuana smell at US Open

Aryna Sabalenka had a simple request for fans at the US Open: smoke if they want, but not around the tennis courts. The world number one said a strong marijuana smell wafting through Louis Armstrong Stadium disrupted her third-round match against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova.

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

Sabalenka complained to the umpire during her straight-set victory and stopped her service motion at times. Asked whether the sun had caused the interruptions, she rejected that explanation. “No, I’m used to the sun, so that wasn’t the problem,” she said.

“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” Sabalenka said after the match. She told reporters that she had smelled marijuana in New York before, but never with such intensity. She also said she did not know whether the odor came from spectators or blew into the stadium from outside.

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

The issue dominated her post-match news conference, including a question about how high she was compared with the other major tournaments. Sabalenka’s comments appeared to point toward the Louis Armstrong crowd, but she also suggested that wind could have carried the smell from nearby parks.

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No, I’m used to the sun, so that wasn’t the problem.

Jessica Pegula treated the episode as part of the disorderly atmosphere associated with the US Open. “Obviously the smoking weed, you probably just shouldn’t do that. I feel like that should be a known thing,” she said. Sabalenka next faces American Taylor Townsend in the fourth round.

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Obviously the smoking weed, you probably just shouldn’t do that. I feel like that should be a known thing.