US Open: Aryna Sabalenka stops her match against Kamila Rakhimova due to a strong smell of weed
There was some high drama at Louis Armstrong Arena in New York as Aryna Sabalenka had to briefly interrupt her US Open third-round match after she complained to the chair umpire about the strong smell of marijuana emanating from the stands.
The incident occurred during the third game of her match against Kamila Rakhimova, where Sabalenka led 30-0 while serving from the south end of the court. The world number one then turned towards the referee and pointed out that someone in the audience appeared to be smoking cannabis.
“Someone is smoking weed,” Sabalenka told the official.
The defending champion then asked the referee to intervene, stressing how strong the smell was.
“Do you mind (asking them to handle it) because it’s so strong?” She said.
The referee immediately asked for help US Open Employees were sent to the stands in an attempt to determine the source of the odor.
Sabalenka is not the first player to object to the smells of marijuana spreading in the Flushing Meadows complex during this year’s tournament. Adrian Mannarino also expressed frustration over what he described as poor crowd etiquette, with the atmosphere around the venue attracting increased attention amid a growing presence of paid influencers at the US Open.
Sabalenka overcomes Rakhimova’s challenge
Despite the stoppage, Sabalenka was able to qualify for the fourth round after overcoming a strong challenge from Rakhimova. With her position at the top of the world rankings under pressure In New York, Sabalenka got off to a confident start against Rakhimova. The defending champion immediately put her opponent in a defensive position and broke her Uzbek opponent’s serve in the first service game before protecting her serve comfortably.
Sabalenka’s serve remained flawless throughout the first set. She scored every first serve she attempted until the seventh game and finished the opener in just 35 minutes.
Rakhimova responded by raising her game in the second set, producing more power and making Sabalenka work harder. The two players held their serve through a series of long games before Sabalenka was finally able to achieve the progress she needed to break her opponent’s serve to advance 5-4.
This win keeps Sabalenka’s title defense alive, as the Belarusian needs to go all the way in New York if she wants to retain her world number one ranking.
In the next round, she will meet either Russian Diana Schneider, ranked 15th, or American Taylor Townsend, ranked 96th in the world.
– It ends
