Aryna Sabalenka was forced to pause her third-round match at the US Open after complaining about the smell of weed inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The Belarusian, the tournament’s defending champion, raised the issue during her match in New York after an odour believed to be cannabis became noticeable around the court.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone was smoking inside the stadium, or whether the smell had drifted into the arena from the surrounding area.
Smoking and vaping are prohibited on the US Open site under the tournament’s code of conduct, including in the stands and other spectator areas.
The incident came after several players had complained earlier in the tournament about the smell of marijuana around Flushing Meadows, where the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center borders Corona Park.
