The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 U.S. Open. NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka paused her U.S. Open third-round match to tell the chair umpire that “someone is smoking weed” in Louis Armstrong Stadium, the second-biggest venue at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion and world No. 1, was leading Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 2-0 in the opening set when she gestured toward her team before serving and then approached chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore.“Someone is smoking weed, so do you mind … because it’s so strong,” Sabalenka said.Asderaki-Moore then relayed Sabalenka’s message to tournament officials while gesturing as if someone were smoking.After the match, Sabalenka said that the incident hadn’t bothered her in the 6-3, 6-4 win.“I was like, ‘Guys, you can do whatever, smoke whatever, relax as much as you can, but don’t do it around a tennis court,’ ” Sabalenka said in her news conference.
“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell and perform at your best. It was a bit windy; I don’t know whether it was coming from the crowd or from outside.”In a statement sent to The Athletic, USTA spokesperson Brendan MacIntyre 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.“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, that smoking is not permitted on parks property, including the tennis center. We constantly work with the NYPD and Parks Department, and we believe this has helped to decrease any smoking near our fenceline.”It is legal to smoke marijuana recreationally in New York. Still, the U.S. Open prohibits all smoking, vaping, and other electronic smoking devices on site, and it is also not legal on park property. Other players have reported the smell of the drug wafting into the complex this year and in previous years, especially around Stadium 17.The tournament takes place inside Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and dominates the otherwise public space for three weeks. The relationship between the tournament and the park — and its surrounding neighborhoods — has long been complex. The USTA rents its complex from the city and donates money to the park, but heavy traffic and parking overflow impact the area.Sabalenka moves on to face Taylor Townsend or Diana Shnaider in the fourth round.
