Someone Is Smoking Weed': Sabalenka Halts US Open Match Over Strong Cannabis Odour
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
World number one Aryna Sabalenka paused her US Open third-round victory against Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday after a pungent smell of cannabis drifted across Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The top seed stopped play during her second service game while leading 3-0 in the opening set to alert match official Eva Asderaki-Moore.
"Someone is smoking weed," Sabalenka told the umpire from the baseline. "Would you mind to... because it's so strong."
The Belarusian went on to secure a straight-sets victory against her Uzbek opponent, but raised concerns afterwards about the impact of the odour on player performance.
"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," Sabalenka told reporters. "It's a bit tricky to handle that smell while you're trying to compete at your best."
Wind Drift From Public Park
Recreational cannabis is legal for adults over 21 in New York State. Whilst smoking remains strictly prohibited inside the Flushing Meadows grounds, fumes frequently waft onto the show courts from the public Flushing Meadows-Corona Park surrounding the complex.
Sabalenka noted that whilst she had noticed the smell earlier in the tournament, Friday's gusty conditions carried a far higher concentration into the arena.
"I don't know if it was coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium," she said. "I just hope they are a bit more aware of that stuff."
Player Frustration Mounts
The incident adds to a series of complaints from competitors regarding ambient distractions at the year's final Grand Slam. World number three Jessica Pegula, competing simultaneously on neighbouring Arthur Ashe Stadium, backed Sabalenka's remarks and pointed to a broader shift in tournament atmosphere.
"It makes it New York that it's so kind of all over the place and chaotic," Pegula said. "But I do think that there are things that maybe could be better suited towards helping the match be a tennis match and not letting other factors kind of interfere."
Pegula also addressed recent friction regarding fan behaviour and non-traditional spectators, noting that basic court etiquette must be maintained.
"The smoking weed, you probably just shouldn't do that. I feel like that should be a known thing," Pegula added.
