SABALENKA PAUSES US OPEN CLASH AFTER CANNABIS ODOUR DISRUPTS PLAY

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her third-round match at the US Open on Friday after complaining about a strong smell of cannabis drifting onto the court at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York. The Belarusian star was facing Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova when she approached chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to report the distracting odour.

The interruption came early in the opening set, with Sabalenka already leading 3-0. She indicated that the smell was unusually strong and was affecting her concentration while serving. Despite the unusual disruption, play resumed shortly afterwards as the defending champion continued her campaign at Flushing Meadows.

Sabalenka eventually overcame both the distraction and Rakhimova, securing a 6-3, 6-4 victory to book her place in the fourth round. The result extended her winning run at the US Open to 16 consecutive matches and kept alive her bid for a third straight title at the tournament.

The cannabis odour has reportedly become an issue around the tournament, with the smell believed to have been carried by the wind from the nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Although recreational cannabis is legal in New York, smoking is prohibited within the US Open grounds, and tournament officials investigated the incident without ejecting any spectator.

Speaking after the match, Sabalenka urged spectators to be mindful of players and avoid activities that could interfere with competition. Despite the unusual moment, she maintained her focus and advanced comfortably, while the incident added another unexpected talking point to this year’s US Open.