Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:34am on 05 Sep 2026,Saturday Sports
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her third-round US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova after a strong cannabis smell drifted onto the court at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Sabalenka alerted chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore, saying the odour was unusually strong and distracting her during play. The interruption was brief, and the two-time defending champion resumed the match and defeated Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round. Sabalenka later urged spectators not to smoke near the courts. Officials investigated the incident, while reports suggested the smell may have been carried from nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park by the wind.(PC: X)
