Aryna Sabalenka pauses US Open match to complain about strong cannabis smell
Unbiased summary
Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1 and two-time defending US Open champion, halted her third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova during the first set while leading 3-0 to complain to chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore about a strong smell of cannabis on the court. She said, "Someone is smoking weed... it's so strong." Play resumed after the umpire radioed officials, who searched the crowd. Cannabis is legal for recreational use in New York, and similar complaints have been made by players in recent years, including Katie Boulter earlier in the tournament. Sabalenka won the match 6-3, 6-4, hitting 10 aces and facing no break points, advancing to the round of 16 without dropping a set.
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Coverage by outlet
The Guardian
left
Angle
Frames the incident as a light-hearted, common occurrence at the US Open, focusing on Sabalenka's relaxed reaction and her on-court success.
Bias
Emphasizes Sabalenka's smiling, laughing demeanor and her humorous quotes, downplaying the disruption by calling it a 'talking point.' Notes cannabis legality and wind as mitigating factors. Omits any detailed search or security response. Strays minimally from neutral, but leans toward a benign, anecdotal tone.
Daily Mail
right
Angle
Sensationalizes the incident with dramatic language ('forced to stop,' 'disturbed,' 'mysterious snipping signal') and highlights the illegality of smoking inside the tournament.
Bias
Uses emotive words like 'forced' and 'disturbed' to amplify the disruption. Emphasizes the violation of tournament rules, the staff response, and mentions 'hash court' from Danish media. Omits Sabalenka's later lighthearted comments and focuses on the alleged fan behavior. Strays further from neutral by adding dramatic imagery and a disapproving tone.
GB News
right
Angle
Presents the event as a factual but mildly sensational news item, tying it to broader player complaints and noting the legal context, without strong editorializing.
Bias
Sticks closely to the facts, but emphasizes the 'strong odour' and includes previous complaints from Djokovic, Zverev, and Boulter to underline it as a recurring issue. Omits Sabalenka's humorous quotes and her later clarification about the wind. Slight conservative framing may implicitly criticize the legal cannabis environment, but overall it remains relatively balanced compared to the Daily Mail.