Sabalenka Overcomes Cannabis Smell to Reach US Open Fourth Round

Aryna Sabalenka’s title defence briefly paused for an unusual reason on Louis Armstrong Stadium – the sharp smell of cannabis drifting across the court – before the top seed coolly shut the door on Kamilla Rakhimova and marched into the US Open fourth round.

Up 3-0 in the opening set, the two-time defending champion stepped towards the chair and told umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore that “someone is smoking weed”, asking her to intervene “because it’s so strong”.

Asderaki-Moore radioed an official and gestured towards the stands, but with no obvious culprit and no play delay beyond the brief exchange, Sabalenka turned back to the baseline, reset, and went back to work.

From there, the match followed a far more familiar script.

Power, control, and a streak intact

Sabalenka closed out a composed 6-3 6-4 win over the player listed as representing Uzbekistan, extending her unbeaten run at Flushing Meadows to 16 matches. She is now three wins away from a third straight US Open crown, a feat last achieved by Serena Williams between 2012 and 2014.

The 28-year-old came out striking cleanly and with intent, her trademark power immediately overwhelming Rakhimova. Sabalenka dropped just four points on serve in the first set, repeatedly backing up heavy first deliveries with ruthless first strikes.

Rakhimova struggled to make any impression on return. Sabalenka’s serve numbers told the story: 10 aces to her opponent’s two, and not a single break point faced across the entire contest. When she needed a gear, she found it. When she needed a first serve, it arrived.

The first set slipped away quickly. The second demanded a little more care.

Rakhimova resists, Sabalenka shuts the door

Rakhimova raised her level after the changeover, holding serve with more authority and lengthening the rallies. For a spell, Sabalenka had to manage rather than dominate, forced into a few more defensive positions as the underdog swung more freely.

But the pressure finally told at 4-4. Sabalenka tightened her returns, stepped inside the baseline, and forced the crucial break to move 5-4 ahead. Serving for the match, she showed no sign of nerves, closing it out with the same authority that had underpinned the afternoon.

No drama on the scoreboard. No foothold for Rakhimova on return. Just a clean, professional passage into week two.

Cannabis complaints return to Flushing Meadows

The cannabis episode was not an isolated gripe. Sabalenka joined a growing list of players who have complained about the smell at this year’s tournament.

Britain’s Katie Boulter called it distracting last week, while Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones also remarked on the odour during their matches. In previous editions, stars such as Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev voiced similar frustrations.

Smoking is banned on site at Flushing Meadows, but the scent of cannabis often drifts in from nearby Corona Park, where it is legal for adults aged 21 and over to smoke. On Louis Armstrong, the whiff was strong enough for the world’s top seed to halt and speak up.

The interruption, though, was fleeting. Her focus, once restored, looked unshakeable.

A familiar target in sight

With another straight-sets win banked and the streak still alive, Sabalenka now waits for either American Taylor Townsend or Russian 15th seed Diana Shnaider in the fourth round. Shnaider beat her in the French Open quarter-finals in June, a result that would add an extra edge if they meet again in New York.

The cannabis cloud may have hovered over Louis Armstrong for a few minutes. Sabalenka’s ambitions, though, remain crystal clear: a fifth Grand Slam singles title, and a slice of history in a city that keeps throwing distractions her way.