Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her US Open match to address a strong smell of cannabis on the court while advancing to the fourth round.

Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending US Open champion, briefly stopped her match against Kamilla Rakhimova to report a strong smell of cannabis on the court. While leading 3-0, she approached chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to request that the issue be addressed. Sabalenka later noted the smell was the strongest she had encountered in New York, though she remained unsure if it originated from the crowd or outside the stadium due to the wind.

Match performance and tournament context

Sabalenka went on to win the match 6-3, 6-4, reaching the round of 16 without dropping a set. Her performance included 10 aces and zero break points faced. The victory marks a return to form for the Belarusian, who had not reached a final since winning Indian Wells and Miami in March. She currently faces the possibility of losing her No. 1 ranking, which she has held for 97 weeks, unless she secures a third consecutive US Open title and Elena Rybakina loses before the semi-finals.

Press conference tensions

Beyond on-court competition, Sabalenka engaged in a heated exchange with a reporter during a post-match press conference. The reporter questioned her preparation, suggesting she had spent the week before the tournament focused on "parties and fun." Sabalenka rejected the characterization, citing her brand activities, and criticized the reporter for making assumptions about her training regimen.

Other tournament developments

In the fourth round, Sabalenka is set to face American Taylor Townsend, who advanced by defeating Diana Shnaider. On the men's side, 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev reached the fourth round after a straight-sets victory over Arthur Rinderknetch. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz also progressed, defeating Wu Yibing in his return from a four-and-a-half-month injury layoff; he is scheduled to face Tommy Paul in the next round.