Aryna Sabalenka reached the fourth round of the US Open with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 win over Kamilla Rakhimova. The two-time defending champion looked in control throughout, but her match was briefly interrupted by an unusual distraction. The smell of marijuana drifted through the stadium, adding Sabalenka to the list of players who have dealt with the issue at the US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka Speaks Out After Marijuana Incident at US Open
The incident happened early in the first set when Sabalenka was forced to stop play. She turned to the chair umpire and pointed out the strong smell in the air.
“Someone is smoking weed. Do you mind? Because it’s so strong,” Sabalenka said.
Aryna Sabalenka had to speak to the umpire mid-match at the U.S. Open due to someone smoking weed:
“Someone is smoking weed. Do you mind? Because it’s so strong.”
pic.twitter.com/Fx2JnzZ6QN— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 4, 2026
Speaking about it after the match, Sabalenka made it short and clear. “There is nothing else to say about weed. I’m just asking people not to smoke it next to the tennis court,” she said in her press conference.
The World No. 1 also said she was unsure where the smell was coming from because of the windy conditions.
“I don’t know if it was like coming from the crowd or if it was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium. I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff,” Sabalenka added.
When a reporter asked Sabalenka how “high” her level was compared to the other Grand Slams, referring to her performance, she took the question literally and linked it to the ongoing weed issue. “If they’re gonna keep smoking, I might get high,” she joked.
Aryna Sabalenka spoke in press about someone smoking weed during her match at the US Open
“How much of a high are you on over here compared to the other majors?”
Aryna: “High? The level? Now I can only hear weed stuff. If they’re gonna keep smoking I might get high.”… pic.twitter.com/CZ1R2CbgaG
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 4, 2026
Sabalenka is not the first player to face this issue at the US Open. The tournament has gained a reputation for the smell of marijuana, with Court 17 often at the center of complaints.
During the 2023 US Open, eighth seed Maria Sakkari noticed a strong smell of marijuana during her match and correctly guessed that it was coming from nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Other players have also spoken about the issue. After his opener match, Alexander Zverev joked that “Court 17 definitely smells like Snoop Dogg’s living room,” while Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova also blamed the nearby park.
Last year, Casper Ruud called the smell his “least favorite thing about playing at the US Open,” while Nick Kyrgios previously complained about it during a match.
With recreational cannabis legal for adults in New York, the smell from nearby Corona Park has become a common issue at the tournament. While smoking is banned inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the nearby public areas are outside the tournament’s control.
Despite the distraction, Sabalenka cruised past Rakhimova and will now look to win her third straight US Open title. She needs to defend her title to remain world No. 1.
The four-time Grand Slam Champion will next face either 15th-seeded Russian Diana Shnaider or American fan-favorite Taylor Townsend, who is ranked No. 96.
