US Open players complain of cannabis smell drifting into courts

Players have complained about the smell of cannabis drifting into some US Open courts from nearby Corona Park. Britain’s Katie Boulter called it distracting, while Fran Jones and Harriet Dart also discussed the issue. The USTA said it remains vigilant

New Delhi: With the main draw of the US Open all set to kick off on Sunday, players have raised complaints over the smell of cannabis in New York, where it is legal for adults aged 21 or over.

Britain’s No.1 player Katie Boulter was among those who spoke up against the smell that wafts into some of the outside courts from Corona Park nearby. Boulter, World No.60, is all set to open her campaign against USA wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee as she stated that she can smell the cannabis “a lot” during her practice sessions.

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“I’m not a huge fan of it,” said Boulter. “I know a lot of players have complained on some of the specific courts. I’ve played on one before, and I did smell it during my match. It’s something that I wouldn’t like to smell in the middle of my match.

“I’m trying to focus and then obviously, it takes you out of the moment, and you really don’t want to. You don’t need distractions. So yeah, I wasn’t a huge fan of it,” she added.

More British players complained of the smell of the weed, with Fran Jones and Harriet Dart joining the chorus. “Last year I made a joke about that, in my first round, and I said to the guy, ‘Is this normal?'” said Jones. “Because I was in the stadium, and it’s next to the park. He’s like, ‘Yeah. And I was like: ‘Well, no wonder I’m playing pretty well.’ This year I’ll be like ‘no, lock in, lock in!’,” she added. Jones is all set to begin her campaign against Poland’s Magda Linette.

Dart, who made it to the main draw after beating compatriot Heather Watson, also spoke on the issue. “I mean it’s New York. It’s New York. I feel like everywhere you walk around, it’s everywhere, no? It is what it is. Same for everyone,” she said.

Meanwhile, the organiser of the US Open, the United States Tennis Association, stated that they remain “vigilant” over the issue. “While we can’t control what takes place off the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we continue to be vigilant as we maintain this,” the USTA said in a statement.

This isn’t the first year in which players have raised their voices. Last year, World No.20 Casper Ruud hit out, saying that the smell is the “worst thing” about New York. Four years earlier in 2022, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios complained that his asthma was triggered by a fan smoking courtside. Greece tennis star Maria Sakkari also went public during the 2023 US Open, complaining about smelling cannabis during her set.