Aryna Sabalenka stopped her third-round match against Kamila Rakhimova at the US Open to complain that a spectator appeared to be smoking marijuana inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, the tournament's second-largest showcourt.
The world No.1 was serving at 30-0 up in the third game, close to the south end of the stadium where her team was seated, when she broke off play to speak first to her team and then to chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore.
"Someone is smoking weed," Sabalenka told Asderaki-Moore. "Would you mind to (tell them to deal with it) because it's so strong."
Asderaki-Moore radioed for assistance, making a snipping signal to her colleagues, and members of US Open staff went into the crowd to try to find the source of the smell.
The smell of cannabis is not unexpected around the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The venue sits inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, where marijuana can legally be smoked by people relaxing in the park. Smoking of any kind, however, is forbidden inside the tournament itself. The US Open has been contacted for comment.
Complaints over New York's 'hash court'
The Louis Armstrong Stadium episode follows complaints from a number of British players during qualifying and the early rounds about the smell around the grounds. Katie Boulter was particularly critical of the stink around Court 17, which is referred to in the Danish media as "hash court" for how strongly the smell lingers in the air.
Boulter, who was knocked out on Wednesday by Karolina Muchova, said: "I have experienced it. You got down to the practice courts and down in the park courts, you do smell it a lot. I'm not a huge fan of it. I know a lot of players have complained on specific courts. I've played on (Court 17) before and I did smell it during my match. It's something that I wouldn't like to smell in the middle of my match."
In response, the United States Tennis Association issued a statement: "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 New York, that smoking is not permitted on parks property, including the tennis center. We constantly work with the NYPD and Parks Department, and we believe this has helped to decrease smoking near our fenceline."
Sabalenka wins in straight sets
Despite the early distraction, Sabalenka reset with minimal fuss and went on to beat world No.92 Rakhimova in straight sets, continuing her march towards what she hopes will be a third consecutive US Open title, following her victories at Flushing Meadows in 2023 and 2024.
Speaking later with a smile about the incident, she said: "I was like guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax however you want, but please try not to do it during a tennis match. It's a bit tricky to handle the smell while you're trying to compete at your best. But come on guys, I think there is nothing more to say about weed. I'm just asking people not to smoke it next to the tennis court." Of her game, she added: "Maybe it's too fast for them, and they want to slow down!"
Sabalenka scythed through the opening set, but the second was a different story. Almost double the length of the first, it saw Rakhimova grow into the match and push Sabalenka to deuce four times in her opening service game. Only a strong serving display, with 10 aces struck across the match, kept her opponent from finding a crucial break.
A tricky summer in New York
Sabalenka had joked with reporters on Friday about how "high" being in New York made her feel, but she has cut a trickier figure after her matches at this year's tournament. Wound tight after a challenging summer that has seen her normally ultra-consistent form dip, her attitude has read as defensive.
In the second set against Rakhimova, that mode switched to visible frustration as her opponent continued to deny her chances to break serve, even though the outcome of the match was rarely in doubt.
There is a growing sense that Sabalenka wants not just to keep advancing through the draw, but to restore the sense of dread her opponents once felt on seeing her name in their section of it, a feeling that was not guaranteed after a summer in which her level dropped. Slowly, she is clawing it back.
