Aryna Sabalenka asks US Open fans not to smoke near courts after cannabis smell interrupts match

Match interrupted by cannabis smell

Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion and world No.1, briefly paused her third-round US Open match on Friday to complain to the chair umpire about the strong smell of cannabis drifting across the court. The incident occurred early in the match, with Sabalenka leading 3-0 over Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

A smiling Sabalenka approached umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore and was heard saying: "Someone is smoking weed, do you mind … because it's so strong." She later laughed as she recounted the exchange, telling reporters she had addressed the fans directly in her thoughts: "I was like, 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. It's a bit tricky to handle that smell while you're trying to compete at your best."

Sabalenka, who is from Belarus, went on to win the match 6-3, 6-4, advancing to the fourth round without dropping a set. She served 10 aces and faced no break points.

Sabalenka's light-hearted response

At her post-match press conference, Sabalenka was in a jovial mood when asked about the interruption. "High? The level? Now I can only hear weed stuff. If they're gonna keep smoking I might get high," she said, drawing laughter.

She said she was unsure whether the smell had come from the crowd or from outside the stadium, noting that windy conditions may have carried it into the arena. "That strong? Yeah. Also because it was a bit windy. I don't know if it was coming from the crowd or the outside because wind blows it into the stadium," she said. "I just hope they're gonna be a bit more aware of that stuff." She added that the smell was stronger than she had ever experienced during her years playing in New York.

Sabalenka said she had no objection to fans enjoying themselves, but urged them to consider the players. "You can smoke, whatever. You can relax as much as you can. But please don't do it around the tennis courts," she said.

Official response and context

The U.S. Tennis Association responded with a statement from spokesman Brendan McIntyre, who said: "While we can't control what takes place off the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we continue to be vigilant as we maintain this facility as a smoke free environment. This includes enforcement by our security and guest services teams when they are made aware of any individual that may be smoking, making them aware that although it may be legal in NY, that smoking is not permitted on parks property including the tennis center."

No fans were found to be smoking and ejected from the tennis grounds, according to reports. Cannabis is legal in New York, and the smell of weed around the tournament grounds has become a recurring topic at the US Open in recent years. Other players, including Nick Kyrgios and Maria Sakkari, have previously complained about the smell during their matches. The New York Post reported that local dispensaries are delivering marijuana to tennis fans, with Tre Davidson, a manager at a nearby dispensary, Silk Road, telling the outlet: "You get high, it makes [tennis] a little more entertaining."

Other matches on Friday

In other fourth-round qualifying action, Taylor Townsend defeated Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3 to set up a meeting with Sabalenka. Daniil Medvedev advanced with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Arthur Rinderknech, and Carlos Alcaraz beat Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Alcaraz said he is "recovering really well" and doing "great things off the court," adding that he gives his all every time he steps on court.