‘Someone is smoking weed’: Sabalenka interrupts US Open match over cannabis smell
Aryna Sabalenka had an unusual interruption during her US Open third-round match on Friday, stopping play to alert the umpire to a strong smell of cannabis drifting on to Louis Armstrong Stadium court.
Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed competing at the U.S. Open, halted her third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova due to a strong marijuana smell in the stadium. The Belarusian tennis star approached umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to request that someone smoking marijuana be removed from the venue. The incident occurred during the first set, and Sabalenka continued her match after the umpire relayed her concern to the officials.
Although the U.S. Open is a smoke-free facility, New York's recreational marijuana laws and the city's Parks Department regulations on smoking in parks have raised questions about the source of the smell. USTA spokesperson Brendan McIntyre confirmed that no one was ejected from the stadium, emphasizing the tournament's commitment to maintaining a smoke-free environment.
Sabalenka, who won the match 6-3, 6-4, joked about the incident and expressed that the smell made it challenging to perform at her best.
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