Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one and two-time defending US Open champion, stopped her third-round match on September 4, 2026, at Louis Armstrong Stadium to alert the umpire about a strong cannabis smell drifting onto the court [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Sabalenka was playing against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova and had started the match strongly, leading 3-0 before halting play to complain about the odor [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9].

Sabalenka told umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore, "Someone is smoking weed, do you mind … because it’s so strong," requesting the smell to be controlled during the match [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. The cannabis odor is a recurring problem at the US Open, with other players including Nick Kyrgios, Maria Sakkari, Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, and Francesca Jones having previously spoken out about it [2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9].

Smoking is prohibited inside the US Open grounds, but cannabis smoke seeps in from the nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where recreational use is legal for adults aged 21 and over in New York [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Sabalenka said the smell on court that day was stronger than ever before and attributed it to the wind carrying smoke into the stadium [4, 5, 6, 7, 8].

Sabalenka finished the match with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Rakhimova, serving 10 aces and not facing a single break point [2, 4, 5, 8]. U.S. Tennis Association spokesperson Brendan McIntyre said, "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 as we maintain this facility as a smoke free environment," adding security responds to any reports of smoking inside the venue [6, 7, 8].

Sabalenka expressed respect for smokers' rights but asked that smoking not be done near the tennis courts. She said, "I was, like, Guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, do not do it around the tennis courts. It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best" [4, 5, 6, 7, 8].

Sabalenka has held the No. 1 ranking for 97 weeks but will lose it unless she defends her US Open title and Elena Rybakina loses early in the tournament [4].