Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her US Open match after complaining about a strong smell of cannabis on court, before beating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round in New York.

The two-time defending champion was leading 3-0 early in the match when she approached chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to raise the issue.

“Someone’s smoking weed, do you mind? It’s so strong,” Sabalenka told the umpire.

Reported by The Guardian, the Belarusian later laughed while recalling the unusual interruption and said she had no problem with spectators enjoying themselves, as long as it did not interfere with the players.

“I was like, guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you want, but please don’t do it around the tennis courts,” Sabalenka said. “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell when you’re trying to compete at your best.”

Cannabis is legal in New York, and its smell around the US Open grounds has become a familiar talking point in recent years. Sabalenka initially appeared to believe the smell was coming from somewhere in or near the crowd, but later said she was unsure of its source.

“It was really strong, especially because it was a bit windy,” she said. “I don’t know if it was coming from the crowd or from outside, because the wind blows it into the stadium. I don’t know. I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff.”

The interruption did little to affect Sabalenka’s performance. She produced a dominant serving display against Rakhimova, hitting 10 aces and facing no break points as she advanced to the last 16 without dropping a set.

The victory also marked an encouraging step for Sabalenka, who arrived in New York having endured one of her toughest stretches of form in recent years. She has not reached a final since winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in March.

There is also a major ranking incentive at stake. Sabalenka will lose her world No 1 ranking, which she has held for 97 weeks, unless she wins her third consecutive US Open title and Elena Rybakina, the world No 2, fails to reach the semi-finals.

Pressure on Sabalenka has also surfaced away from the court. After her second-round victory over Polina Iatcenko, she became involved in a heated exchange with a reporter who described her week before the US Open as involving “parties and fun”.

“You guys are, like, a joke,” Sabalenka responded. “‘Parties, fun …’ Why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? Just because I posted some activities with brands, you think I’ve been partying and not training?”

She eventually ended the exchange by telling the reporter: “Think before you say stuff.”

Sabalenka now faces a tougher fourth-round test against home favourite Taylor Townsend. Townsend reached the last 16 for the second consecutive year after defeating 15th seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3.