"Impossible to concentrate": The smell of marijuana driving US Open stars crazy
Not for the first time: several top players have complained about a strong smell at the complex. The reason is the proximity of some of the courts at Flushing Meadows to Corona Park. "We don't need distractions."
The smell of marijuana coming from outside the complex has become one of the most talked-about nuisances at the US Open, with several top players complaining that it is noticeable during matches and practice sessions.
The reason for this is the proximity of some of the courts at Flushing Meadows to Corona Park. Marijuana is legal for adults in New York State, but smoking is prohibited inside the tournament grounds. Despite this, the smell reaches some of the courts, especially the outer ones.
British tennis player Katie Boulter addressed the phenomenon and said she had encountered it herself: "Yes, I've experienced it. You go to the practice courts and the courts in the park, and you smell it a lot."
Boulter added that she does not like the phenomenon:
"I've played on a court before where I felt it during the match. It's something I wouldn't want to smell in the middle of a match. I'm trying to concentrate and then, obviously, it takes you out of the moment and you really don't want that. You don't need distractions. So yeah, I wasn't a big fan of it."
"That's how it is in New York"
Francesca Jones also told of a similar experience: "Last year I joked about it, in my first match, and I said to the guy, 'Is this normal?'. Because I was in the stadium, and it's next to the park. He said, 'Yes'. And I thought, 'Well, no wonder I'm playing quite well'. This year I will tell myself: 'No, concentrate, concentrate!'"
Harriet Dart, who qualified this year along with Jones, addressed the phenomenon more amusedly: "I mean, it's New York. It's New York. I feel like everywhere you go, it's everywhere, right? It is what it is. Same for everyone."
Alexander Zverev poked fun earlier
This is not the first time that the smell on the courts has sparked reactions. In 2023, Alexander Zverev joked that Court 17 "definitely smells like Snoop Dogg's living room," and added that "Oh my God, it's everywhere. The whole court smells like weed."
The United States Tennis Association clarified that they are aware of the issue: "While we cannot control what happens outside the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we continue to be vigilant as we maintain this facility as a non-smoking facility."
