Aryna Sabalenka's Unexpected Distraction at the US Open
Aryna Sabalenka has been almost untouchable at the US Open in recent years. Power, poise, presence – few things have been able to knock her out of rhythm in New York.
On Friday, something finally did.
Not an opponent. Not the occasion. The smell of marijuana.
Sabalenka stops mid-serve
Early in her third-round win over Kamilla Rakhimova on Louis Armstrong Stadium, the world No 1 abruptly halted. Serving in the third game, she tossed the ball, froze, and let it drop. She tried again on the next point. Same reaction. Same hesitation.
Something was clearly wrong.
Sabalenka walked toward the chair umpire, gesturing, looking unsettled. The issue wasn’t her shoulder or the ball toss. It was the air.
She later explained she had never experienced the odour so strongly during a match at Flushing Meadows.
“I don't know if it was, like, coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium,” she said. “I don't know. I just hope they're going to be a bit more aware of that stuff.”
The smell lingered. Sabalenka had to play through it.
“You can relax… but not around the courts”
Sabalenka described the moment with a mix of irritation and disbelief.
“I was like, guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, to not do it around the tennis courts,” she said when asked what was going through her mind. “It's a bit tricky to handle that smell while you're trying to compete at your best.”
Her complaint wasn’t unprecedented. Nick Kyrgios and Maria Sakkari have both voiced similar frustrations in past US Opens. The tournament site backs onto a park, often suspected as the source when the distinctive scent drifts across the grounds.
On this night, no fans were identified smoking or removed from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
USTA defends smoke-free stance
The US Tennis Association moved quickly to restate its position.
“While we can't control what takes place off the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre, we continue to be vigilant as we maintain this facility as a smoke-free environment,” USTA spokesperson Brendan McIntyre said in a statement.
“This includes enforcement by our security and guest services teams when they are made aware of any individual that may be smoking, making them aware that although it may be legal in NY, smoking is not permitted on parks property including the tennis centre.”
The message was clear: inside the grounds, zero tolerance. Outside, it’s another battle entirely.
From annoyance to a punchline
Once the match was safely won and the tension eased, Sabalenka managed to find humour in an evening that briefly threatened to turn surreal.
Asked whether fans might simply be trying to enhance their viewing experience, she leaned into the joke.
“Maybe it's too fast so they want to slow down a little bit, so who knows,” she said. “I don't know the effect from it.”
She had, by then, done what champions do: absorbed the distraction, adjusted, and moved on.
In New York, the wind can swirl, the noise can rise, and now, apparently, the smell can follow. If Sabalenka keeps winning, the question isn’t whether she can handle it – it’s what, if anything, can actually throw her off course.
