Aryna Sabalenka complains about the smell of marijuana during her US Open match
- Two-time defending US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka complained to the chair umpire about the smell of marijuana during her third-round victory over Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
- Sabalenka said the odor was particularly strong when she was serving early in the match, causing her to stop and approach the chair umpire for assistance.
- The smell likely originated from a park located behind the US Open grounds, carried into the stadium by wind, according to Sabalenka's assessment.
- Other professional players including Nick Kyrgios and Maria Sakkari have previously complained about marijuana odor during their matches at the US Open.
- The USTA stated that no fans were found smoking on the tennis grounds and were ejected, and emphasized that smoking is prohibited on the facility despite being legal in New York.
Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion at the US Open, complained during her third-round match on Friday that the smell of marijuana was affecting her performance. While serving in the third game at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Sabalenka stopped play and approached the chair umpire to request assistance with the odor.
Sabalenka stated she had never experienced such a strong smell of marijuana during a match. She believed the odor was coming from either the crowd or from outside the tennis center, carried in by wind. After the match, she expressed hope that spectators would be more mindful of smoking near the courts, noting that the smell made it difficult to compete at her best.
This is not an isolated incident at the US Open. Other professional players, including Nick Kyrgios and Maria Sakkari, have previously complained about marijuana odor during their matches. A park located behind the US Open grounds is typically identified as the source of the smell.
The US Tennis Association responded by stating that no fans were found smoking on the tennis grounds and were ejected. A USTA spokesman emphasized that while smoking is legal in New York, it remains prohibited on the facility's property, and security and guest services teams continue to enforce this policy when made aware of violations.
阿琳娜·萨巴伦卡抱怨美网比赛中大麻的气味
两届美网卫冕冠军萨巴伦卡在周五的第三轮比赛中投诉大麻气味影响了她的表现。在路易斯·阿姆斯特朗球场的第三局发球时，萨巴伦卡停止比赛并走向主裁寻求帮助。
萨巴伦卡表示这是她在比赛中经历过最浓烈的大麻气味。她认为气味可能来自观众或场外，被风吹进了网球中心。赛后，她表示希望观众在球场附近更加谨慎，指出这种气味使她难以全力竞技。
这并非美网的孤立事件。其他职业选手如尼克·基里奥斯和玛丽亚·萨卡里曾在比赛中投诉过大麻气味。位于美网场地后方的公园通常被认为是气味的来源。
美国网球协会回应称，未发现有球迷在网球场地内吸烟，已驱逐相关人员。协会发言人强调，尽管在纽约吸烟合法，但在该设施内仍然禁止吸烟，安保和客户服务团队在获知违规情况时会继续执法。