Sabalenka Stops Play After Strong Weed Smell Hits US Open Court

Tomasz Wilk

Editor

Last updated: Sat 05 Sep 2026 07:29

Tomasz Wilk 1 hour ago

Share this article

Sabalenka paused her US Open match due to a strong weed smell
She quickly regained focus, winning 6-3, 6-4 against Rakhimova
Sabalenka handled questions with humor and called for more awareness

Aryna Sabalenka was forced to address an unusual distraction at the US Open (credit: Getty)

Sabalenka interrupted by strong smell of weed
Sabalenka explains what happened

Aryna Sabalenka had an unusual distraction to deal with during her third-round match at the US Open on Friday.

The world No. 1 was facing Kamilla Rakhimova when she stopped during the match to alert the umpire about a strong smell of weed coming from somewhere around the stadium.

“Someone is smoking weed. Do you mind? Because it’s so strong,” Sabalenka told the umpire.

Sabalenka interrupted by strong smell of weed

Sabalenka was leading 3-0 in the opening set when she suddenly stopped and turned to chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore. Pointing towards the stands, she explained that the smell of weed was so strong that it had become difficult to ignore.

The umpire spoke to an official on her radio and was seen making a smoking gesture towards the area behind her, while US Open staff headed into the crowd to try to locate the source of the smell. However, it remained unclear exactly where it was coming from.

Play eventually resumed, with Sabalenka putting the strange distraction behind her as she went on to beat Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 in just one hour and 29 minutes.

Sabalenka explains what happened

Speaking to reporters after the match, Sabalenka was asked several questions about the strong smell and explained that the windy conditions made it difficult to work out where it was coming from.

“Because it was a bit windy, I don’t know if it was coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blew it into the stadium.”

She also admitted that the smell was particularly strong this time and hoped people would be more aware of the distraction it can cause during matches.

“I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff.”

But Sabalenka clearly wasn’t taking the whole situation too seriously. When the questions about marijuana kept coming, she joked with reporters:

“More about the weed? Come on, guys. You were the one who was smoking, maybe?”

And when another reporter asked her about the “high” she gets playing at the US Open compared to other tournaments, Sabalenka laughed:

“High? The level? Now I can only hear the weed stuff. If they’re gonna keep smoking, I might get high.”

Watch Sabalenka’s full press conference:

"If they’re gonna keep smoking I might get high.”

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was asked a slew of questions about the pungent smell or marijuana at the US Open.

Read more: https://t.co/rH2GyYRITE pic.twitter.com/p3ivk4sVrg
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) September 4, 2026

The two-time defending champion and world No. 1 has cruised into the second week in New York and will face Taylor Townsend in the fourth round on Sunday.

Read about Sabalenka’s chances of making another deep run in our US Open tournament preview.

Tomasz Wilk is a tennis analyst and betting strategist with a sharp eye for momentum shifts, underdog value and live markets. His work focuses on delivering actionable insights, match previews, and betting tips across ATP and WTA tours. Combining data and intuition, he aims to help readers stay ahead of the curve in a fast-moving betting landscape.