Sabalenka complains about marijuana smell at US Open: Small incident, big reaction
core_answer: Aryna Sabalenka complained to the chair umpire about a strong marijuana smell during her US Open third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova on August 28, 2025. She won 6-2, 6-4 and laughed it off post-match. USTA confirmed no fans were smoking or ejected.
key_facts: Sabalenka stopped play in the second set at 3-2 to report the smell to the umpire.; She won the match 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour 11 minutes to advance to round four.; USTA spokesman Brendan McIntyre reaffirmed the smoke-free policy with no violations found.; Kyrgios and Sakkari previously made similar complaints at other tournaments.
source_attribution: Based on match reports and USTA statements from August 28, 2025 | Cross-checked: VuaBong.vn
related_qa: q: Did the marijuana smell affect Sabalenka's performance?, a: No, she won comfortably in straight sets with no statistical drop in serve or return efficiency.; q: What is USTA's policy on smoking at the US Open?, a: The entire Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds are smoke-free, with security enforcement when violations are detected.; q: Has this happened before at Grand Slams?, a: Yes, Nick Kyrgios and Maria Sakkari have previously complained about similar marijuana smells at tournaments.
New York, late Wednesday night – With the score at 3-2 in favor of Aryna Sabalenka in the second set of her third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova, the two-time defending champion suddenly stopped. She didn't launch into her third serve as her usual rhythm dictated. Instead, the Belarusian tossed the ball up twice, then walked straight to the chair umpire. The pause didn't last long, but it was enough for every camera at Louis Armstrong Stadium to turn toward her.
What Sabalenka discussed with the umpire wasn't a tactical decision or a disputed call. She pointed toward the wind and said: "The smell of marijuana is too strong." The night breeze from the park outside Flushing Meadows had carried a scent she couldn't ignore. The umpire nodded, and the match resumed. Sabalenka won 6-2, 6-4, but the story after the match didn't end with the scoreline.
This isn't the first time the smell of marijuana has become a topic at a Grand Slam. Nick Kyrgios once complained at the Australian Open, and Maria Sakkari has also mentioned it at another tournament. But the world number one, defending her title, having to pause her rhythm because of an odor from outside the court raises a question the organizers couldn't answer immediately: where does their responsibility end?
Consider the specific context. Louis Armstrong Stadium sits on the western side of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, adjacent to Flushing Meadows Park. Under New York City regulations, smoking in certain public areas of the park is legal. But under USTA rules, the entire tennis center grounds must be a smoke-free environment. Brendan McIntyre, the USTA spokesman, confirmed: "We maintain a smoke-free campus and our security team will address any violations when detected. We have no reports of fans smoking or being ejected."
The gap between policy and enforcement is the space Sabalenka inadvertently touched. Marijuana smoke drifting from the park into the stadium isn't a violation within the grounds, but it directly affects the playing experience of the athletes. In a sport where focus is the most valuable asset, an external distraction like this can be seen as an uncontrollable variable.
This incident highlights a reality: top players are facing increasingly diverse distractions, and Grand Slam organizers need a more flexible response mechanism than static regulations.
After the match, when asked about the situation in the press conference, Sabalenka laughed: "My matches are too fast, I don't know what the effect is." Her joke showed ease, but it was also a clever way to close a delicate issue. She didn't want to turn it into a controversy, didn't want to be seen as someone who complains. But the very act of stopping the match to alert the umpire showed its level of impact.
What's interesting is how Sabalenka's reaction differed from how other players have handled similar situations. Some chose silence, some showed open frustration. Sabalenka chose a direct but gentle approach: alert the umpire, continue the match, and then turn it into a humorous story. This reflects a maturity in emotional management befitting a champion.
From a purely sporting perspective, this incident had no impact on Sabalenka's performance. She won 6-2, 6-4, taking just 1 hour 11 minutes to complete the match. Her serve remained sharp, her forehands still powerful. But the question arises: if this smell appeared at a more sensitive moment, say during a deciding-set tiebreak, would her reaction have been the same?
This is an issue tournament organizers need to examine. Not to address a specific case, but to build a response protocol. When multiple players report the same issue, it's no longer an isolated story. It's a signal that the playing environment is changing, and regulations need to keep pace.
Another perspective: is this a problem USTA can fully solve? Not entirely. They can't control what happens outside their grounds. But they can create a mechanism for players to feel heard, and consider mitigation measures such as air filtration systems at main courts or architectural solutions to adjust wind direction.
Sabalenka has moved on to the fourth round, and she won't spend another second thinking about the marijuana smell. But for organizers, this is a small but noteworthy signal. In a two-week tournament with hundreds of matches, details like this can accumulate into a bigger problem if not addressed early.
Fans come to the stadium to watch great shots and high-level battles. They don't come to smell marijuana, and neither do the players. But as this sport becomes increasingly intertwined with urban life, the boundaries between court and outside world will blur further. The question isn't whether there's marijuana smoke in the stadium, but how we handle it when it appears.
Sabalenka has shown how a champion handles distraction: recognize, report, and continue. It's a lesson in focus. But it's also a reminder to organizers that in an era where everything can become a topic of discussion, listening to the smallest complaints can prevent bigger problems in the future.