Aryna Sabalenka Dominates Yet Complains of Cannabis Smell at US Open
Aryna Sabalenka barely gave Kamilla Rakhimova a look-in on the scoreboard. The top seed marched into the fourth round of the US Open with a businesslike 6-3, 6-4 win on Louis Armstrong Stadium, never facing a single break point.
The match, though, was interrupted by something no opponent could produce: a strong smell of cannabis drifting across the court.
Midway through the contest, Sabalenka stopped play and called the chair umpire over, clearly unhappy with the pungent haze hanging in the air. The Belarusian made her point firmly: she has no issue with people unwinding, but not when it wafts over a Grand Slam court and cuts into her concentration.
Smoking is banned on the US Open grounds, but recreational cannabis is legal in New York, and smoke from Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, which wraps around the tennis complex, can easily drift into the stadiums. On a still evening, it lingers.
Sabalenka shut out the distraction better than most. She controlled the baseline exchanges, protected her serve with authority, and closed the match in straight sets with the kind of efficiency expected from a world No. 1 seed. Rakhimova never got close enough to apply real pressure.
Next up for Sabalenka is American Taylor Townsend, who came through a rollercoaster three-setter against Diana Shnaider, 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3. Townsend’s variety and home support promise a very different kind of test.
Alcaraz returns from injury and reminds New York who he is
On the men’s side, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz walked back into Arthur Ashe Stadium after more than four months out with a wrist injury and played as if he had never left.
Wu Yibing felt the full force of that statement.
Alcaraz dismissed the Chinese player 6-3, 6-4, 6-1, accelerating through the match with the swagger that defined his title run last year. The Spaniard has been open about the uncertainty surrounding his comeback, but each outing in New York has sharpened his belief. He said he feels better with every match and has been surprised by the speed of his recovery.
The scoreline reflected it. Alcaraz dominated the rallies, tightened the screws on return, and ran away with the third set. Next he faces 20th seed Tommy Paul, a step up in class and intensity, and a genuine barometer of where his wrist — and his title defence — really stand.
Medvedev in straight lines, Tiafoe and Shelton move on
Daniil Medvedev delivered the sort of performance that has become his trademark in New York: precise, controlled, and ruthless. He beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, three identical sets that told the story of a player always a half-step ahead, never in serious danger.
Frances Tiafoe, seeded 11th, gave the home crowd more to cheer. He overpowered Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, mixing heavy serving with flashes of creativity that have made him one of the tournament’s main attractions.
Ben Shelton had to work harder. Locked in a serving duel with Denis Shapovalov, the American edged a tight first-set tiebreak 7-6 (7-3), dropped the second 6-7 (5-7), then surged through the gears to close it out 6-3, 6-4. His explosive left-handed game continues to look built for these courts and this crowd.
Kostyuk surges, Svitolina bows out
In the women’s draw, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, the 11th seed, produced one of the more polished displays of the day. She dismantled Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2, controlling the tempo and dictating from the back of the court with calm authority.
Her reward is a compelling clash with Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the next round, a meeting that promises clean hitting and very little margin for error.
Elina Svitolina, though, saw her campaign end. After fighting back to level the match, she could not sustain the push and fell to Anna Kalinskaya 3-6, 6-2, 3-6. It was a stop-start performance, moments of resilience punctured by loose games at key times.
On a day when the favourites largely held firm, Sabalenka’s irritation with the cannabis haze and Alcaraz’s smooth return from injury underlined a simple truth: distractions circle everywhere at Flushing Meadows, but the players with real ambitions are learning to shut them out and push deeper into the second week.
