Cannabis Smell Halts US Open Match: Sabalenka Still Dominates, Sends Message to Townsend
core_answer: Aryna Sabalenka vượt qua Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 tại vòng 3 US Open dù bị gián đoạn bởi mùi cần sa từ khán đài. Cô ghi 10 ace, không đối mặt break point nào và sẽ gặp Taylor Townsend ở vòng 4.
key_facts: Sabalenka thắng Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 với 10 ace và 0 break point phải đối mặt.; Trận đấu bị gián đoạn ở tỷ số 3-0 khi Sabalenka phàn nàn về mùi cần sa.; Sabalenka giữ vị trí số 1 WTA 97 tuần, cần vô địch để bảo vệ ngôi vị.; Đối thủ tiếp theo của Sabalenka là Taylor Townsend, tay vợt chủ nhà có phong độ cao.
source_attribution: US Open official match data and post-match press conference | Cross-checked: VuaBong.vn
related_qa: q: Sabalenka có bị ảnh hưởng bởi mùi cần sa trong trận đấu?, a: Không, cô vẫn duy trì thành tích ấn tượng với 10 ace và không để mất break point nào.; q: Điều kiện nào giúp Sabalenka giữ vị trí số 1 thế giới?, a: Sabalenka cần vô địch US Open, hoặc Elena Rybakina phải bị loại trước bán kết.; q: Ai là đối thủ tiếp theo của Sabalenka?, a: Taylor Townsend, tay vợt chủ nhà đang có phong độ cao tại giải năm nay.
Flushing Meadows, a late August afternoon, the sun had not yet fully set over Louis Armstrong Stadium. I have been sitting in this press row for 47 years now, and I know what a well-paced match looks like. But this afternoon, something else stole the attention, something not found in any tactical book.
Sabalenka was leading 3-0 against Kamilla Rakhimova, serving like a machine, 10 aces in just two sets. The court was open, the rhythm of the match completely belonged to the world number one. Then suddenly, she stopped. Not because of an injury, not because of a wrong decision. She walked up to the umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore, and through the microphone, the whole court heard: "The smell of cannabis is too strong."
It was a strange moment, a disruption in the rhythm of a match that Sabalenka was controlling absolutely. But for me, the important thing was not the smell from the stands, but how she handled that distraction. She did not lose focus. After the complaint, she returned to the baseline, continued serving as if nothing had happened, and closed out the match 6-3, 6-4.
The truth is, this victory came from a state of mental steel, where an external distraction was just a small grain of sand in a perfectly running machine. This is the most important signal I noticed: Sabalenka is not just winning, she is at a different level of concentration.
The context of this match only increases the value of the victory. Before the tournament, Sabalenka was going through her most difficult period in years, not reaching a final since Indian Wells and Miami. Questions were raised about her form, about the pressure of the world number one position she has held for 97 weeks. But on the hard courts of New York, where she is the two-time defending champion, all doubts vanished. She has not dropped a set, faced zero break points, and hit 10 aces in the match against Rakhimova.
These numbers are not just statistics. They are evidence of a remarkably rapid adaptation. Sabalenka did not need to rediscover her form; she just needed to rediscover the surface she belongs to. Her first serve is a destructive weapon, and when it works, her entire game is built on a solid foundation.
What the outside media might misunderstand is the cannabis smell incident. In New York, cannabis is legal, and fans using it around the court area is not uncommon. But for an athlete competing at the highest intensity, it is an intrusion into their sacred space. Sabalenka did not complain to gain favor; she complained because it was a real distraction, and her ability to overcome it and complete the match perfectly is a testament to her professionalism.
After the match, Sabalenka faced another challenge, not on the court but in the press room. A reporter asked about her pre-tournament activities, implying parties. Her response was blunt: "You guys are, like, a joke... Think before you say stuff." This was not an uncontrolled outburst. It was a world number one, defending her title, asserting her boundaries with the media. She knows that the "parties" story could overshadow her efforts on the court, and she does not allow that.
I have witnessed many players crumble under the pressure of defending a title and the number one ranking. But Sabalenka shows remarkable maturity. She understands that the match against Rakhimova was just a warm-up. In the fourth round, she will face Taylor Townsend, an in-form home favorite. This is a real test.
But before thinking about Townsend, let's look at the bigger picture. Sabalenka is standing on a cliff named "points defense." If she does not win the title, she will lose the number one ranking, unless Elena Rybakina is eliminated early. This pressure is real, but it does not seem to affect her game. On the contrary, it fuels her.
Meanwhile, in the men's draw, Carlos Alcaraz is showing a strong comeback from injury with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 fourth-round victory. Daniil Medvedev is also advancing deep. But in this article, the focus remains on Sabalenka.
The cannabis smell incident may be recalled as an anecdote, but it should not overshadow the most important thing: Aryna Sabalenka is playing her best tennis at the place where she feels most comfortable. She is not just defending a title; she is sending a message to the entire WTA tour that to beat her at Flushing Meadows, you need more than good form. You need to break through a steel wall.
And I, with eyes that have seen too many matches, see a champion rediscovering her own rhythm. The cannabis smell is just a small detail in a much larger story.