Overview
- Sabalenka paused her third-round match on Friday after reporting a "very strong" smell of marijuana in Louis Armstrong Stadium, and umpires radioed staff who searched the stands but did not find or eject a smoker.
- Tournament officials reiterated that the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is smoke-free and that security enforces the rule when alerted, but they said they cannot control lawful use on adjacent public parkland.
- Players have raised the same complaint in recent years, with reports this week of concentrated odours near Court 17 and access ramps that make the problem intermittent but recurring.
- Wind and the complex’s location inside Flushing Meadows–Corona Park explain how smoke can drift into courts, creating a practical enforcement challenge for on-site staff during matches.
- The incident drew fresh attention to crowd etiquette and match conditions and may increase pressure on the USTA to refine reactive measures, though no immediate policy changes were announced.