Overview
- On Friday, Sept. 4, Aryna Sabalenka paused her third-round match at Louis Armstrong Stadium to tell chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore that “someone is smoking weed,” then resumed and won 6-3, 6-4.
- The umpire radioed for help and US Open staff checked the stands but did not find or eject any spectator and the exact source of the smell remained unclear.
- The U.S. Tennis Association reiterated that the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is a smoke-free venue and that security enforces that rule when alerted, while noting it cannot police legal activity off site.
- Players and reporters say the tournament’s location next to Flushing Meadows–Corona Park and open outdoor courts let wind carry cannabis odour into playing areas, with Court 17 and practice courts repeatedly named in past complaints.
- The incident highlights a recurring operational problem: expect continued on-site responses by staff, ongoing player frustration, and renewed pressure on the USTA and city authorities to consider long-term fixes for smell drift and spectator behaviour.