Aryna Sabalenka halts US Open match over cannabis smell before beating Kamilla Rakhimova

Interruption on Louis Armstrong Stadium

World number one Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted play during the opening set of her third-round match against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday. Leading in the early games on Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Belarusian top seed turned to her player box before approaching chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore during her second service game. Sabalenka informed the official that the smell of cannabis drifting across the court had become too intense to ignore.

Someone is smoking weed, so do you mind... Because it's so strong.

Asderaki-Moore relayed the complaint to tournament security over her radio while making a smoking gesture with her hand. Tournament staff then initiated checks around the stands to identify if the smoke originated inside the arena or from the surrounding park grounds. Play resumed shortly after the discussion without any formal delay to the contest.

Match outcome and serving statistics

Despite the brief distraction, Sabalenka maintained control of the baseline exchanges to secure a 6-3, 6-4 victory. The top seed dominated on her delivery, dropping only four points on serve throughout the entire first set and facing zero break points during the contest. Sabalenka hit 10 aces compared to two from Rakhimova, securing the decisive service break at 5-4 in the second set before serving out the match.

The result marked Sabalenka's 16th consecutive match victory at the US Open, where she enters as the two-time defending champion. After the match, she addressed the incident during her post-match press conference.

I was like, guys you can do whatever, smoke whatever, relax as much as you can but don't do it around a tennis court.

Park regulations and recurring odor complaints

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center strictly prohibits smoking, vaping, and the use of electronic smoking devices across all tournament grounds. However, recreational cannabis use is legal under New York state law for adults aged 21 and older. Because the tennis complex is located entirely within the public Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, smoke generated in adjacent public recreational spaces regularly drifts across the perimeter courts and into open-air stadiums during windy conditions.

Sabalenka is not the only competitor to report the presence of cannabis odors during the 2026 tournament. British players Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, and Francesca Jones each reported noticing the smell during their matches earlier in the week. In previous editions of the tournament, ATP players including Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev lodged similar complaints about cannabis smoke entering the outer courts, particularly around Stadium 17.

Fourth round path

Sabalenka advances to the fourth round, continuing her pursuit of a third consecutive US Open singles title and a fifth Grand Slam singles trophy overall. Her next opponent will be decided by the match between American player Taylor Townsend and Russian 15th seed Diana Shnaider. Shnaider previously defeated Sabalenka in the French Open quarter-finals in June 2026.