Sabalenka Amid Cannabis Smell and World No.1 Pressure: A 6-3, 6-4 Win and a Battle Beyond the Court

New York, a late August evening. The Louis Armstrong Stadium was immersed in the roar of thousands of spectators as Aryna Sabalenka had just finished her third game, taking a 3-0 lead over Kamilla Rakhimova. She was in perfect rhythm, serving powerfully, moving fluidly. But suddenly, the world number one walked up to the umpire's chair, not to request a medical timeout or complain about a call. She stopped the match for something entirely off-court: a pungent smell of cannabis wafting from the stands. This is the moment when I, someone who has watched hundreds of matches from the VAR room, realized that sometimes what tests a champion is not the opponent's forehand, but what is happening on the sidelines. When I reviewed the footage from multiple camera angles that night, I saw the discomfort clearly on Sabalenka's face. She is not someone easily distracted by external factors, but when that smell hit her, all tactical plans seemed disrupted. "It's tricky to handle while competing at one's best," Sabalenka shared after the match. That quote reminded me of a principle I've learned after years as a VAR official: "There are offside calls no one sees, but the camera never blinks." And on the court, there are factors the crowd doesn't see, but the player cannot ignore. That cannabis smell, though not an offside call, became a point of disruption in a match Sabalenka was fully controlling. The context of this match is not merely a third-round encounter. Sabalenka arrived at the US Open this year as the two-time defending champion. She holds the world number one ranking for 97 consecutive weeks, a telling number. But her form before the tournament was not truly convincing. Since reaching the finals at Indian Wells and Miami, she had not advanced deep in any tournament. This led experts to question: Is Sabalenka losing her explosive edge? However, once on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows, everything seemed to change. Against Rakhimova, Sabalenka recorded 10 aces and did not face a single break point. She won 6-3, 6-4 in a swift manner. This is a clear signal that she has rediscovered the connection between her serve and baseline shots. But as I often tell young colleagues in the VAR room: "A millimeter changes the fate of a team; I've learned to live with that." In tennis, a moment of distraction can also change the fate of a match. The cannabis smell incident occurred when Sabalenka was leading 3-0. This shows she had built a comfortable lead before having to stop and complain to umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore. But the key is how she handled it afterward. She did not panic; instead, she maintained focus and finished the match coherently. This shows the composure of a true champion. However, the story did not end there. After the match, in the press conference, Sabalenka had a confrontation with a reporter. When asked about her pre-tournament activities, she responded sharply: "You guys are, like, a joke... Think before you say stuff." This is a rare moment where one can see tension from a usually calm player. It shows that the pressure of defending the number one ranking, along with criticism about her form, is weighing heavily on her. I have witnessed many players face pressure over the past 25 years. But few handle it as directly as Sabalenka. She did not avoid the question; she confronted it head-on. This reminds me of a phrase I often use to remind myself: "The biggest mistake is not holding the whistle, but not daring to own your call." Sabalenka seems to be owning her call, even if it may cause controversy. Tactically, the match against Rakhimova showed a completely different Sabalenka compared to what we saw in previous tournaments. She stood closer to the baseline, hit the ball earlier, and notably, her serving became extremely effective. 10 aces in a match is an impressive number, but what caught my attention more was that she did not face any break points. This means she completely controlled her service games, applying constant pressure on her opponent. However, I always look at statistics with caution. As I've said: "In esports, the audience sees the play; I see the mouse click a fraction of a second before." In tennis, 10 aces do not tell the whole story of what happened on court. Was she hitting too aggressively to compensate for previous inconsistency? Were unforced errors not being counted a worrying sign? Without specific data, I can only guess based on the instincts of someone who has watched thousands of matches. But one thing is certain: Sabalenka is entering the decisive phase of the tournament with a different mindset. She will face Taylor Townsend in the fourth round, a home favorite with a very tricky serve-and-volley style. Townsend had an impressive run earlier and will surely receive strong crowd support. This will be a real test for Sabalenka, not just technically but mentally. Meanwhile, in her half of the draw, Elena Rybakina, the world number two, is still advancing. If Sabalenka cannot defend her title, she will lose the number one spot if Rybakina is not eliminated before the semifinals. This is a huge psychological pressure, and I believe it has affected how Sabalenka performs on court. She is not just fighting for a title; she is fighting for her world number one ranking. I remember a memory from 2026 when I spotted a silent offside in the AFC Cup match between Hai Phong FC and Ceres-Negros. I quietly sent a signal to the referee team, and the away team's goal was disallowed. No one knew about my intervention, but the match result changed. Sabalenka is doing the same: she is quietly adjusting her game, not flashy, but effective. She doesn't need to tell the world she has changed; she just shows it through results on court. The cannabis smell at the US Open is nothing new. In New York, cannabis is legal, and it's inevitable that some spectators use it in the stadium area. But for a player in the title race, it is a significant distraction. I have reviewed the footage multiple times, and I clearly see Sabalenka's discomfort. She was not complaining about the umpire or her opponent; she simply wanted the match to continue in a cleaner environment. This raises a larger question about how major tournaments manage the environment around the court. If a smell can affect a player's mentality, should there be stricter regulations on the use of stimulants in the spectator area? This is an issue I believe Grand Slam organizers will need to consider after this tournament. But that is a story for the future. For now, Sabalenka has overcome that challenge. In another development, Carlos Alcaraz also had an impressive performance in the third round, defeating his opponent 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Alcaraz is showing a strong comeback from injury, which puts significant pressure on players in his half of the draw. But that is the men's story; in the women's draw, the race remains tight. Sabalenka enters the fourth round with the mindset of a champion. She has overcome distraction, overcome pressure, and most importantly, found her rhythm on hard courts. But I know that everything can change in just one match. That's why I always remind myself: "When everyone blames the 19-year-old player, the person in the VAR room must stand up." And in the next match, I will watch closely every shot, every serve, every umpire decision, because the truth always lies in the smallest details. Sabalenka's battle is not just against her opponent on court, but also against the invisible pressures from outside. The cannabis smell is just a small part of that. Ahead of her lies a long road with increasingly bigger challenges. Can she maintain her form and defend her title? Can she overcome the psychological pressure of protecting the number one ranking? These questions will only be answered when the tournament ends, but I believe that with what she has shown, Sabalenka is on the right track. I will continue to observe, continue to analyze every small detail, because that is my job. And when the match ends, I will have the most accurate judgments, based on what I have seen, not what I hear from the crowd.