Aryna Sabalenka finally found something that could stop her at the U.S. Open: the smell of marijuana. She told the chair umpire early in her third‑round victory over Kamilla Rakhimova.
Sabalenka Cites Marijuana Odor as Distraction at U.S. Open
Sabalenka said she had never smelled the odor so strongly while serving early in the match. She twice let the serve fall to the court, clearly distracted by the scent.
She then walked to the chair to ask for help. ‘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,’ she said.
Sabalenka wondered whether the smell came from the crowd or the wind blowing it into the stadium. She hopes officials become more aware of the issue.
Nick Kyrgios and Maria Sakkari have also complained about marijuana odor during their matches. The scent often originates from a park behind the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
No fans were found smoking and ejected from the tennis grounds. Security teams monitored the area throughout the match.
U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Brendan McIntyre said the organization remains vigilant in maintaining a smoke‑free facility. ‘Although it may be legal in New York, smoking is not permitted on parks property including the tennis center,’ he added.
After the match, Sabalenka laughed off the incident at her news conference, questioning whether fans were trying to slow the pace. ‘Maybe it’s too fast so they want to slow down a little bit, so who knows,’ she said.
The episode highlights ongoing challenges of maintaining a smoke‑free environment at major tennis events. Players and officials will continue to address the issue as the tournament progresses.
