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Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3 6-4 in New York but criticised the smell of cannabis drifting onto Louis Armstrong Stadium, joining Katie Boulter in complaining about distractions. Elsewhere, Jessica Pegula fought back from a set down to beat Leylah Fernandez and stay in contention for the world number one ranking.
Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the fourth round of the US Open on Friday with a comfortable straight-sets victory over Kamilla Rakhimova, but the world number one was far from happy with conditions around Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The two-time defending champion won 6-3 6-4 on the secondary show court, yet the match was overshadowed by an unusual complaint from the Belarusian player. During the first set, with Sabalenka leading 2-0 and serving, chair umpire Marijana Veljovic was seen making a smoking gesture with her fingers after speaking with tournament officials on her radio.
The smell of cannabis around Flushing Meadows has been a recurring issue throughout the tournament week, though until Friday it had been largely confined to the outside courts situated close to Corona Park. Smoking of any kind is strictly prohibited on the US Open site, making the situation particularly frustrating for players attempting to focus on their matches.
Sabalenka addressed the matter in her post-match press conference, saying she simply wanted the umpire to identify the person responsible and ask them to move elsewhere rather than disrupt play. She noted that the wind may have carried the smell into the stadium from outside the grounds, and even joked that the smoke might be a strategy by her opponents to slow her down.
The Belarusian star further lightened the mood when asked if the aroma had affected her performance, responding that she could only smell the cannabis and joking that she might get high herself if people kept smoking near the courts. She added that the smell was tricky to handle while trying to compete at the highest level, and that she felt compelled to alert the umpire so action could be taken.
Sabalenka is not the first player to voice frustration about the smell of cannabis around the grounds this week, as British number one Katie Boulter previously described the aroma as distracting. The United States Tennis Association responded to earlier complaints by stating that while it cannot control what takes place off the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, it continues to remain vigilant in maintaining a smoke-free environment within the facility.
In other third-round action on Friday, American third seed Jessica Pegula fought back from a set down to defeat 2021 finalist Leylah Fernandez 1-6 6-4 6-3, saving her tournament hopes in the process. Pegula, who finished runner-up in 2024, remains in contention to achieve her childhood dream of reaching the world number one ranking and is one of only three players who could dethrone Sabalenka at Flushing Meadows.
She will next face Romanian Sorana Cirstea for a place in the quarterfinals. Ukraine's eleventh seed Marta Kostyuk also progressed comfortably, beating Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3 6-2 to move closer to qualifying for the WTA Finals for the first time in her career. The Williams sisters were scheduled to take to the court later in the evening for their doubles match, continuing their return to competitive tennis at the tournament
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