Sabalenka interrupts US Open match over smell of cannabis

World number one Aryna Sabalenka had an ⁠unusual interruption during her US Open third-round match on Friday, stopping play to alert the umpire to a strong smell of cannabis drifting onto Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Sabalenka, who had made a fast 3-0 start ‌against Uzbekistan's Kamilla ⁠Rakhimova, raised the issue during her second service game, pointing out the smell before play resumed.

The odour of cannabis has become a familiar, if ‌unwelcome, feature at Flushing Meadows, with players complaining about the ⁠distraction in the past.

While smoking is ‌not permitted inside the tournament grounds, recreational ⁠cannabis ‌is legal for adults over 21 in New York, and smoke from people in the surrounding ⁠Flushing Meadows-Corona Park can drift into the tennis ⁠complex and onto the courts.

Even top seed Sabalenka was unable to escape one of the more unexpected elements of the US Open experience.