# Sabalenka's Cincinnati and US Open progress > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/sabalenkas-us-open-2026-campaign > Updated: 2026-09-05T12:29:00.000Z. Sources: 190. Developments: 7. Aryna Sabalenka has shown resilience in her recent tournament runs. During the Cincinnati Open, she overcame windy conditions to defeat Talia Gibson in the third round, eventually advancing to the round of 16 with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory over Xinyu Wang. Sabalenka attributed her success to her ability to “attack her shots without overthinking.” This performance set up a quarterfinal matchup against breakout player Sara Bejlek. Transitioning to the US Open, Sabalenka continued her strong form with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Polina Yakimenko. She has since advanced to the fourth round following a 6-3, 6-4 straight-sets victory over Kamila Rakhimova. During that 90-minute match, Sabalenka recorded 10 aces and successfully defended all seven break points faced. With this latest win, Sabalenka has extended her winning streak at the US Open to 17 consecutive matches as she pursues a third consecutive title. The match at Louis Armstrong Stadium was briefly interrupted when Sabalenka complained to umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore about a “very strong” smell of cannabis, stating, “Someone is smoking weed.” While smoking is prohibited within tournament grounds, the scent often drifts from the nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. In a post-match press conference, Sabalenka remarked, “You can do whatever, you can smoke whatever... but please, not around the tennis courts. It is a little difficult to deal with that smell while you are trying to compete at the highest level.” The United States Tennis Association (USTA) issued a statement clarifying that while they cannot control activities off the grounds, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is a smoke-free environment. The organization noted they work with the NYPD and the Parks Department to enforce these rules, despite cannabis being legal for adults in New York. Sabalenka will next face the winner of the match between Taylor Townsend and Diana Shnaider. ## Claims - Sabalenka is the world No. 1 in the WTA rankings, with four Grand Slam titles and 100 weeks at the top spot. (disputed by 2 sources) - Sabalenka’s most recent tournament win was the March 2026 Sunshine Double in Miami. (disputed) - Aryna Sabalenka defeated Kamila Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round of the US Open. (corroborated by 5 sources) - Serena Williams described Aryna Sabalenka as a 'spitfire' who freely shows anger on court. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Aryna Sabalenka reported a strong smell of cannabis during her match at the US Open. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Sabalenka has achieved 16 consecutive victories at the US Open. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Sabalenka stated that while cannabis use is legal in New York, it should not be done around the tennis courts. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Sabalenka travelled to Vienna for a mental reset after losing in the Wimbledon fourth round to Naomi Osaka. (single source) - In Vienna, Sabalenka filmed an episode of her 'Aryna’s Arena' series with partner Georgios Frangulis and dog Serena. (single source) - Sabalenka planned to compete next at the Canadian Open in Toronto, then the Cincinnati tournament, followed by a US Open title defence. (single source) - Sabalenka visited her family in Belarus and introduced her fiancé Georgios Frangulis to them. (single source) - Sabalenka lost to Diana Shnaider at the French Open and to Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon, later saying she wanted to quit tennis. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-05: Aryna Sabalenka interrupts US Open match due to cannabis smell Aryna Sabalenka paused her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova to complain about a strong cannabis smell, later winning 6-3, 6-4 despite the distraction. 15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aryna-sabalenka-halts-us-open-match-due-to-cannabis-smell ### 2026-09-03: Aryna Sabalenka advances to US Open fourth round despite marijuana odor Aryna Sabalenka defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the US Open fourth round, despite a match interruption caused by a strong smell of marijuana near the court. 95 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aryna-sabalenka-advances-to-us-open-fourth-round ### 2026-08-20: Coco Gauff and Sara Bejlek set for Cincinnati Open semifinal Coco Gauff and breakout star Sara Bejlek will face off in the Cincinnati Open semifinals after Gauff defeated Marta Kostyuk and Bejlek overcame Madison Keys in a dramatic three-set match. 41 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sara-bejlek-upsets-aryna-sabalenka-at-cincinnati-open ### 2026-08-18: Aryna Sabalenka advances to Cincinnati Open round of 16 Aryna Sabalenka reached the Cincinnati Open round of 16 after defeating Xinyu Wang 6-1, 6-3 in a dominant 54-minute performance. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aryna-sabalenka-advances-to-cincinnati-open-round-of-16 ### 2026-08-12: Cincinnati Open: Świątek and Sabalenka advance to third round Top players including Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka advance to the third round of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open, while Maja Chwalińska secures a notable victory to climb the rankings. 67 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aryna-sabalenka-makes-history-as-first-belarusian-on-time-cover ### 2026-07-24: Aryna Sabalenka Gets Serena Williams Praise and Pursues Mental Reset Ahead of US Open Serena Williams likened Aryna Sabalenka to a “spitfire” and praised her emotional play. Sabalenka reset in Vienna, visited family in Belarus, and eyes a comeback at the Canadian Open, Cincinnati and US Open as 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aryna-sabalenka-leads-us-open-2026-field-adopts-djokovicinspired-changes ### 2026-07-21: Aryna Sabalenka marks 100 weeks as WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka reaches 100 weeks as WTA world No. 1, the sixth‑longest streak, while noting viral TikTok ties with Djokovic and Alcaraz ahead of the US Open. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aryna-sabalenka-completes-100-weeks-atop-wta-rankings --- Cite as: Sabalenka's Cincinnati and US Open progress. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/sabalenkas-us-open-2026-campaign