Sabalenka stops US Open match over cannabis odor: "Someone is smoking weed"

Aryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her match at the US Open to complain about the strong smell of cannabis on her court as she comfortably reached the fourth round in New York.

Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, continued her attempts to rebuild her form as she overcame a challenging test from Kamilla Rakhimova before winning 6-3, 6-4.

Early in the match, a smiling Sabalenka approached the chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore while leading 3-0, stating “Someone is smoking weed, do you mind … because it’s so strong.” Afterwards, Sabalenka laughed as she described her interaction with the umpire: “I was, like, Guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, do not do it around the tennis courts. It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.”

Cannabis is legal in New York and the smell can be detected around tournament grounds, as is the case all around the city. This has become a common talking point at the US Open in recent years. Although Sabalenka initially seemed to believe that the smoke may have been coming from a spectator in or near the crowd, she later said she was unclear about its origins but the smell of cannabis was stronger than she had ever experienced during her years of competing in New York: “That strong, yeah. Also, because it was a bit windy. I don’t know if it was, like, coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium. I don’t know. I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff,” she said.

Sabalenka has returned to the round of 16 without dropping a set and she appears to be finding some rhythm on the court. This victory was spearheaded by a stellar serving performance, with the Belarusian serving 10 aces and facing zero break points. She had arrived in New York in some of her most difficult form for years, having failed to reach a final since winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in March. Sabalenka will lose her No 1 ranking, which she has held for 97 weeks, unless she wins her third US Open title in a row and Elena Rybakina, the world No 2, loses before the semi-finals.

Although Sabalenka has put together a series of encouraging performances on-court, the added pressure on her shoulders has perhaps been revealed elsewhere. After her second round win over Polina Iatcenko, Sabalenka clashed with a reporter in her post-match press conference when the reporter described her week before the US Open as “parties and fun.”

This was the second time during the tournament that a reporter had referenced pre-tournament obligations leading up to the US Open, prompting a forceful response from Sabalenka: “You guys are, like, a joke,” she said. “‘Parties, fun…’ like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that? Just because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I’ve been partying, not training?” Sabalenka eventually ended the lengthy, heated exchange by imploring the reporter to “think before you say stuff.”

A tougher test awaits Sabalenka in the fourth round as she faces Taylor Townsend, who followed up her run to the fourth round last year with another strong tournament in New York. Townsend defeated the 15th seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3 to return to the fourth round.

Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 men’s singles champion, also reached the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the 29th seed Arthur Rinderknetch.

Carlos Alcaraz, the men’s defending champion, continues to grow in confidence on his return to tennis from a four-and-a-half month injury layoff and moved into the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 win over Wu Yibing of China. Alcaraz, who until the tournament had not competed since injuring his right wrist at the beginning of April, had to hold his nerve and problem solve during tight moments in the first two sets. He elevated his game in those decisive moments and continues to show that he will be difficult to defeat despite how early it is in his comeback.

Alcaraz will next face the 20th seed Tommy Paul, an American player, who overcame the 15th seed Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3: “To be honest, I’m better than I thought,” Alcaraz said. “Physically, I thought I was going to be bad after the first match but I’m recovering really well, I’m doing great things off the court to be in good shape and right now I think my level is good. I’ve got the rhythm of the competition. Every time I step onto the court, I give it my all.”