Sabalenka Halts U.S. Open Match Over Marijuana Smell

Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked Belarusian tennis player, paused her match at the U.S. Open on Friday to address an issue with what she believed was the strong scent of marijuana emanating from the stands.

Sabalenka voiced her concerns to umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore, stating that the odor was interfering with her ability to focus on the match.

“Someone is smoking weed,” she said to the umpire. “Would you mind telling them to deal with it? It’s so strong.”

Following her complaint, stadium personnel quickly began searching the stands for the source of the smell.

Interestingly, Sabalenka isn’t the only player to raise concerns about the pungent odor at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. This venue, being open-air, is adjacent to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, a popular spot for recreational marijuana use in New York. Many competitors have remarked that the scent regularly drifts from the park into the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

British player Katie Boulter has even referred to one of the courts as the “hash court” due to the pervasive smell of cannabis. She spoke to the media, sharing her experiences: “I have experienced it. I’m not a huge fan of it. I know a lot of players have complained on specific courts. I’ve played on Court 17 before, and I did smell it during my match. It’s something that I wouldn’t like to smell in the middle of my match.”

The U.S. Tennis Association responded with a statement emphasizing their commitment to providing a smoke-free environment.

“While we can’t control what takes place off the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we continue to be vigilant in maintaining this facility as a smoke-free environment,” the association stated. They added that they actively enforce these rules through their security and guest services teams, informing anyone caught smoking that it is prohibited on the property, despite it being legal in New York.

“We constantly work with the NYPD and Parks Department, and we believe this has helped to decrease smoking near our fence line,” they concluded.