Aryna Sabalenka got a surprise interruption in her third-round match at the US Open when she told the chair umpire about a strong smell of marijuana coming from the crowd. The unexpected break halted play at Louis Armstrong Stadium briefly and the tournament staff looked for the source of the smell.
Sabalenka was serving Kamila Rakhimova when she appeared distracted by the strong odour. When the Belarusian led 30-0 in the third game, she appeared to speak with members of her team before approaching chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to express her concern.
"Someone is smoking weed,” Sabalenka told the umpire. She then asked officials to take action because the smell was so strong, saying, “Would you mind to tell them to deal with it because it’s so strong.” The umpire responded by contacting tournament staff and appeared to signal an investigation.
When the US Open staff got on the scene, they moved through the crowd to find out where the smell was from. The incident attracted attention because crowd disturbance is not new at large sports events; complaints about cannabis odours have become a regular talking point at the US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka had to speak to the umpire mid-match at the U.S. Open due to someone smoking weed:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 4, 2026
“Someone is smoking weed. Do you mind? Because it’s so strong.”
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The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is located within Flushing Meadows Corona Park in New York and marijuana use is legal. But that does not mean fans are allowed to smoke inside the tournament site. Smoking is prohibited on the grounds of the US Open so Sabalenka’s complaint needs to be addressed by tournament officials.
Despite this slight hiccup, Sabalenka was able to regain her concentration and continue to play. The world No. 1 defeated Rakhimova in straight sets, and she went on to the next round of the Grand Slam tournament.
The incident with Sabalenka was not the first time players had noticed the smell of cannabis around the US Open. British player Katie Boulter had previously mentioned that she had noticed the smell in the past during matches and practice while she was around Court 17. The issue has become so familiar that the court has even been called the “hash court” by sections of the Danish media.
Boulter has admitted that she has experienced the smell herself during competition. Players can smell cannabis around practice and park courts and she said she was not comfortable with the smell during a match.
Her comments reflect the peculiarities of the US Open site. It is a controlled facility for the tournament but it is also a large public park and players sometimes encounter things outside the arena of competition.
The US Open, organised by the US Tennis Association, has previously been contacted about complaints around cannabis smells. But the organisation has said no one can control anything outside the tournament grounds. But smoking inside the venue is still off-limits and tournament officials have to react when fans or players report violations.
But for Sabalenka the priority was to focus on tennis at once. The Belarusian is one of the most successful women's tennis players in the world and keeping calm in Grand Slam is important for her. She also did it well by moving on from that unusual distraction and managed to finish the match well enough and remained focused despite the interruption.
The event was also of interest because of the setting and the direct manner in which Sabalenka handled it. Rather than let the smell linger inside her, she simply brought it to the umpire's attention and asked for the officials to investigate.
The episode was brief, but it was just another unusual chapter in the long list of events associated with the US Open. The New York Grand Slam is a very special place to be in and that’s by the way it’s known as such a great place that everyone has to go.
And Sabalenka’s complaint ultimately didn’t derail her campaign. After the staff investigation and a brief break, she came back to the court, continued her match against Rakhimova and won in straight sets. With her progress intact, the world No. 1 can now turn her attention back to her goal to make another deep run at the US Open.
