Marijuana Smell! Sabalenka Pauses Match
The women's tennis world No. 1 is bothered by the disturbing smell during her third-round match.
Aryna Sabalenka was upset about the smell of marijuana at the US Open.
The two-time defending champion complained to the chair umpire on Friday that the smell was bothering her during her third-round victory against Kamilla Rakhimova. Sabalenka won the match 6-3, 6-4.
"I don't know if it was from the crowd or from outside because the wind was blowing it into the stadium," Sabalenka said. "I don't know. I just hope they pay a little more attention to that."
Sabalenka Pauses Match
Sabalenka was serving in the third game of the match in Louis Armstrong Stadium. She tossed the ball up but then let it drop to the ground. She did the same on the next point, as something was clearly bothering her.
Then she went to the chair to ask for help.
"I said: Guys, you can do whatever you want, you can smoke whatever you want, you can relax as much as you want, but please, not near the tennis courts," Sabalenka said when asked what she was thinking at that moment. "It's a little bit difficult to handle that smell when you're trying to perform your best."
Not the First Marijuana Complaint
Other players, such as Nick Kyrgios and Maria Sakkari, have complained about the smell of marijuana during their matches in the past.
Behind the grounds where the US Open is held, there is a park that is often suspected as the source of the smell.
No fan was caught smoking and ejected from the tennis grounds.
Organizers Respond
"While we cannot control what happens outside the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we remain vigilant in maintaining this facility as a smoke-free environment," said U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Brendan McIntyre in a statement.
"This includes enforcement by our security and guest services teams, when they are made aware of an individual who may be smoking, and instructing them that smoking is not permitted on the entire park grounds, including the tennis center, even if it may be legal in New York."
Sabalenka Finds Humor in It
The top-seeded Sabalenka was eventually able to look at the issue with humor during her post-match press conference, including the idea that fans are simply looking for ways to better enjoy her matches.
"Maybe it's too fast, so they want to slow down a bit, who knows," she said. "I don't know the effect of it."
