Overview
- On Friday, September 4, Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her third-round match in Louis Armstrong Stadium to tell the chair umpire she could smell marijuana and asked officials to intervene.
- The chair umpire radioed for help and U.S. Open staff searched the stands, but tournament officials said no fans were found smoking and no one was ejected after the investigation.
- Players have repeatedly reported cannabis odour at Flushing Meadows this year and in prior tournaments, with complaints most often focused on outer courts near Court 17 but now also reaching a stadium court.
- New York allows recreational cannabis use while the city Parks Department and the U.S. Open ban smoking on park and tournament property, creating a jurisdictional gap when smoke originates off-site.
- The episode has renewed debate about player distractions, practical enforcement steps the USTA can take with NYPD and Parks officials, and whether tournament operations must change to protect match integrity.