Sabalenka's US Open match stopped due to the smell of marijuana!

Aryna Sabalenka had to face a rather strange situation. The world number one tennis star requested a temporary stoppage of the match while playing against Uzbekistan's Kamila Rakhimova in the third round of the US Open due to the strong smell of marijuana.

Sabalenka defeated Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 last night at Louis Armstrong Stadium to advance to the fourth round. However, her complaint about the smell of marijuana has been more discussed than the result of the match.

Sabalenka, leading 3-0 in the first set, informed umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore about the matter. The two-time Grand Slam winner said, "Someone is smoking marijuana." She also told the umpire that the smell was "very strong" to her.

The umpire then spoke to the match officials on the radio and signaled an official behind her to smoke. Play resumed a few moments later.

After the match, Sabalenka said she was not sure where the smell was coming from. But she urged spectators to be more aware, keeping the players in mind in such situations.

Sabalenka said, "It's hard to deal with a smell like that when you're playing at your best. I can't say whether it was coming from the audience in the gallery or from outside the court. I just hope people are more aware of these things."

Smoking is prohibited in the stadium premises of the US Open venue Flushing Meadows. However, the BBC reported that the smell of marijuana occasionally wafts onto the court from nearby Corona Park. Cannabis consumption is legal in New York for those aged 21 and over.

Sabalenka is not the first to complain about the smell of marijuana at the current US Open. Earlier, British tennis player Katie Boulter said that the pungent smell of marijuana disrupted her concentration. Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones have also made similar complaints.

Star players like Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have previously been seen making similar allegations at the US Open.