Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to the next round of the US Open, but her match against Camilla Rakhimova was also marked by a rather unusual problem. The world No. 1 complained to the referee that there was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the stands, Reuters reports. The Belarusian tennis player managed to maintain her concentration and won the match, but the unusual situation clearly distracted her. Cannabis is legal in New York State, but Sabalenka made it clear that in her opinion such distractions have no place around the tennis courts.
The incident has become one of the curious moments of the tournament, which is otherwise taking place in extremely high temperatures and huge audience interest. Sabalenka continues to defend her title and remains among the main favorites for the trophy.