Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the round of 16 at the US Open 2026 without dropping a single set to her opponents. However, during her third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova from Uzbekistan, the world's number one player faced an unexpected problem — a strong smell of marijuana was coming from the stands.
Already in the third game of the first set, Sabalenka briefly stopped play, looked towards the stands and addressed her team. After that, she approached umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore and asked her to deal with a fan who, according to her, was smoking marijuana.
The umpire immediately signaled to court staff, and security personnel headed to the stands to find the source of the smell.
Similar incidents are not new at the US Open. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is located next to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, where marijuana use is permitted. Smoking is prohibited within the tournament grounds, but smoke sometimes drifts into the stadiums.
Organizers stated that they cannot control what happens outside the tennis center, but they monitor compliance with the smoking ban within the complex. Upon detecting violations, staff issue warnings to fans.
Despite the unpleasant incident, Sabalenka was able to continue the match and confidently defeated Rakhimova — 6:3, 6:4, advancing to the fourth round of the tournament.
The problem with the smell of marijuana at the US Open has been known for a long time. Last year, Norwegian Casper Ruud publicly complained about it, and in 2023, German Alexander Zverev also spoke about a strong smell in the Flushing Meadows area.
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