"Someone is smoking marijuana!" The world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka match was even halted... Absurd incident at the US Open

*This content was translated by AI.

World No. 1 women's tennis player Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus had to stop play during a match due to a strong smell of marijuana, in an absurd scene.

Reuters reported on the 5th (Korean time) that "Sabalenka stopped play during her US Open match because of the smell of marijuana," adding that "as a strong odor of marijuana drifted into the Louis Armstrong Stadium court, Sabalenka informed the chair umpire."

On this day, Sabalenka faced Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan in the women's singles third round of the US Open held in New York, USA.

She started smoothly, taking a 3-0 lead from the early stages of the match, but an unexpected variable appeared.

During her second service game, Sabalenka suddenly stopped play and informed chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore that there was a strong smell.

It was the smell of marijuana.

According to reports, at the time Sabalenka said, "Someone is smoking marijuana," and pleaded, "Is there anything you can do? The smell is too strong."

In New York, recreational marijuana use by adults aged 21 and over is legal.

Therefore, this is not the first time that a marijuana odor has become an issue at the US Open.

Reuters explained that "the smell of marijuana has already become a familiar yet unwelcome presence in Flushing Meadows," noting that "players have previously complained about their concentration being disrupted by the odor."

However, smoking is prohibited inside the US Open venue.

The problem lies in the fact that marijuana smoke generated around Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where the venue is located, could drift with the wind into the tennis courts and playing areas.

Sabalenka also stated that she could not determine exactly where the smell was coming from.

Reuters reported that "while Sabalenka had smelled marijuana before during this tournament, it was the first time she felt such a strong odor during a match."

Sabalenka said, "I don't care what you do or what you smoke. You can enjoy yourself as much as you want," but added, "However, I thought, 'Please, don't do that around the tennis court.'"

She further revealed, "We are competing to show our best performance, and it is a bit difficult to play while smelling such an odor."

It appears the wind also played a role at the time. Sabalenka explained, "This was the first time it was this strong. The wind was blowing a bit," adding, "I don't know if it came from the stands or from outside the venue. It seems the wind pushed the smell into the stadium."

She then emphasized, "I hope people will be a bit more conscious of this issue."

Jessica Pegula of the United States, world No. 3 and the 2024 US Open runner-up, also agreed with Sabalenka's opinion.

Pegula said, "Everything is happening everywhere, which feels very New York," but added, "I think there is room for improvement in ensuring that other factors do not interfere so that matches remain purely tennis."

She was even more firm regarding marijuana smoking. Pegula stated, "I think people probably should just not smoke marijuana," and added, "I believe everyone should know that much."

Meanwhile, Sabalenka remained unfazed by the unexpected 'marijuana disturbance.' In the end, she defeated Rakhimova and successfully advanced to the next round.

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*This content was translated by AI.