Aryna Sabalenka had a bizarre interruption during her US Open third-round match against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova as she stopped play to alert the umpire about a strong smell of marijuana inside the stadium. Sabalenka, who was 2-0 up and serving in the first set at the time, approached the umpire and pointed out the smell. “Someone is smoking weed,” top seed Sabalenka told umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore. “Would you mind to … because it’s so strong.” While smoking is not permitted inside the grounds, recreational marijuana is legal for adults over 21 in New York.
Sabalenka halted her US Open match due to a spectator who was smoking marijuana in the stands.
“It’s very strong.”Can you believe this shit is happening in New York? pic.twitter.com/rRE1SB05I7
— Greggs (@greggs_tn) September 4, 2026
Coming to the match, Sabalenka out-gunned Kamilla Rakhimova to reach the US Open last 16.
Sabalenka didn’t face a break point in a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Rakhimova, firing 29 winners, with 10 aces.
The numbers didn’t tell the whole tale of a match that saw 92nd-ranked Rakhimova push Sabalenka hard in a second-set slugfest.
“She played incredible tennis, she really pushed me so hard in the second set,” Sabalenka said. “I’m super happy that I was able to close this match in straight sets because she’s a fighter.”
Sabalenka, whose world number one ranking is under threat in New York, got off to a strong start, breaking Rakhimova in her first service game and holding her own serve with ease.
Sabalenka didn’t miss a first serve until the seventh game of the contest, pocketing the first set in 35 minutes.
But Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova dialed up the power in the second set, which featured mammoth service holds from each player before Sabalenka gained the crucial break for a 5-4 lead.
Sabalenka, who must repeat as champion to have a chance of remaining number one, next faces either 15th-seeded Russian Diana Shnaider or 96th-ranked American Taylor Townsend.
Shnaider knocked Sabalenka out of the French Open quarter-finals at Roland Garros in June.
(With AFP inputs)
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