US OPEN

September 4, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/K. Rakhimova

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Convincing two-set win. Your thoughts?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I'm happy with the level. She really pushed me so hard in the second set. I'm happy that I closed that match in straight sets.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Can you tell us about the bizarre moment in Set 1 where you had to tell the umpire you could smell weed? What was going through your mind at that stage? Have you ever encountered that before?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I was, like, Guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, to not do it around the tennis courts. It's a bit tricky to handle that smell while you're trying to compete at your best (smiling).

Q. Along those lines, the atmosphere in New York is really special and unique in tennis. As a player, where's the line between that incredible energy that makes the US Open special and can be a distraction of the tennis?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. For me, it's not distraction. I'm focused on my tennis. I know how to balance this on-and-off-the-court life of New York. I stay in a great hotel, I eat in a great restaurant all the time.

You mean right here, in the stadium? Oh, no, I enjoy it a lot. I feel like they really support me a lot. I feel like most of the people in the stadium cheer for me.

So they don't annoy me, even if they a little bit loud during the point. I feel like I got them on my side, and for me is incredible atmosphere. I really enjoy this loud atmosphere in the stadium.

Q. When you smelled the weed, what was your reaction to it? Has that ever happened for you here before?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Come on, Guys. I think there is nothing else to say about weed. I'm just asking people not to smoke it next to the tennis court (smiling).

Q. That's your first time smelling it, though, when you've played here?

ARYNA SABALENKA: That strong, yeah. Also, because it was a bit windy. I don't know if it was, like, coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium.

I don't know. I just hope they're gonna be a bit more aware of that stuff.

More about the weed? Come on, Guys. You were the one who was smoking, maybe?

Q. Must be a good time to watch your matches. People want to enjoy themselves.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know (laughter). Maybe it's too fast so they want to slow down a little bit, so who knows. I don't know the effect from it.

Q. Right about that same time, looked like you were having trouble with the sun also on your serve?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, no.

Q. You stopped your toss, it looked like, a couple of times.

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, because it was a bit too much. I felt like I have to tell the umpire maybe, like, they can see the person smoking so he can do it somewhere else.

Q. I thought you stopped the serve because of the sun. It was because of the weed?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, I'm used to the sun, so that wasn't the problem.

Q. Just the weed, okay.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah.

Q. Talking about serving, amazing serving day for you today. Ten aces, zero breakpoints faced. Can you say a little something about how you felt serving today?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I mean, obviously I felt great. The statistic was insane. At some point I saw on the screen it was 100% first serve. I was, like, Oh, wow.

After that, it went a little bit down. Probably shouldn't have been watching around. Should have been focusing on my serve more.

I'm pretty happy. Of course, cannot complain about my serving game today.

Q. How much of a high are you on over here compared to the other majors?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Say again, sorry?

Q. How much of a high are you on here compared to the other majors?

ARYNA SABALENKA: High? The level? Now I can only hear the weed stuff (laughter). If they're gonna be keep smoking, I might get high.

Q. Okay, more comfortable over here.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Thanks. (Laughter.)

I am comfortable here. I love it here. If comparing to the other slams, I feel pretty good on all of them. I just love New York, and probably that makes me feel like home here.

I would say probably out of all of them, yeah, you're right, maybe I'm more comfortable here.

Q. I feel like you have worked so hard and you continue to work hard to become a player that's very different from the player you were when you first came on tour.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Oh, for sure.

Q. I wonder how you look back on who you used to be, maybe even how young Aryna would look at the player you've turned into.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, that's been a long journey. When I first came here, I felt like the top level is something untouchable, it's something impossible. I wish I would have different mindset back then.

But yeah, I had to work so hard to change a lot of things in my game, to add a lot of things in my game to be able to compete at the highest level.

Yeah, if someone would tell me where it would lead me in, like, I don't know, ten years from that period, I would be so shocked and probably super motivated of course to hear that.

I'm super proud of the journey and of all of the work that I've done to get to where I am right now.

Q. You may play a very popular player in Taylor Townsend next.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah.

Q. What are your thoughts about her game and also the crowd support she might have in a match with you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think I'm ready for the crowd situation. She's a great player. Coming back after having a baby, that was amazing moment for her.

She's, I'd say, tricky player, because she brings the variety, comes to the net, really make you think during the game.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure if it's going to be her, it's going to be a great battle.

Q. Carlos was in here a couple days ago saying that he's going to take breaks during the season, like one-month breaks here, two-month breaks there because after his injury, knowing that so many players have been getting injured. I know scheduling has been a big topic for a long time. You play fewer tournaments now than in the past. Having been on the tour for so long, can you ever imagine things changing in terms of the scheduling and things becoming easier for players, or will it always come down to players to make sacrifices with their scheduling?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I would love to see the changes in the scheduling and to cut off the mandatory events and let the players decide what's better for their health, because it's been super intense. Especially if you play at a level like Carlos is playing, basically very consistent, it's very tricky for the body.

I feel like if they're not going to cut it, we'll have to sacrifice points, ranking position, whatever, yeah, in order to protect our bodies.

I think would be really helpful from WTA and ATP to kind of, like, easing up a little bit schedule for us, once again, in order to really support our health, yeah.

Q. Do you think they'd do that?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I hope so. I hope so.

Q. Building off of the possibility of playing Taylor, you have had matches here in New York where the crowd has been...

ARYNA SABALENKA: Not really for me?

Q. Yes, and against North American players: Leylah, Coco, Madison in 2023. Taylor arguably is probably the most popular player at this year's US Open.

ARYNA SABALENKA: You guys are trying to build up that tension?

Q. No, I'm just asking a question based on past experience.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah.

Q. What do you think you have learned from those particular matches that you can apply to possibly playing Taylor, especially if the match is tight and the crowd does what it had done in the past?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think at the beginning I felt a little bit sad and I felt offended by that. But with the time, I realized, like, why would I? It's so obvious that they're gonna support more than me, and why should they cheer for me rather than for their player.

Now I have a better understanding and accepting the fact that they're gonna cheer against me. I'm also pretty good with, like, shut down the noises from the outside. Like, I won't be hearing them.

But I'm pretty sure that throughout the years I also built a lot of great support here, and I'm pretty sure that they're gonna be respectful to me and they still gonna cheer for me in a respectful way.

Q. How do you shut the noise?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I just don't hear that. I just am super focused on the game. Or sometimes they can piss me off and that's also not good for them (smiling).