British tennis players competing at the US Open in New York have complained about the smell of marijuana wafting over the practice courts from the nearby Corona Park. Marijuana is legal for adults in New York, and although smoking is not permitted on the tournament site, the aroma of weed drifts over some outside courts from the adjacent park.
Players report smell during matches
Katie Boulter, the British No 1, said she has experienced the smell during her matches. “Yeah, I have experienced it. You go down to the practice courts and down in the park courts, you do smell it a lot. But, yeah, I’m not a huge fan of it. I know a lot of players have complained on some of the specific courts,” she said.
Boulter added: “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.”
Other British players weigh in
Fran Jones, the British No 3, recalled a similar experience during last year’s tournament. “Last year I made a joke about that, in my first round, and I said to the guy: ‘Is this normal?’. Because I was on the stadium, and it’s next to the park. He’s like: ‘Yeah’. and I was: ‘Well, no wonder I’m playing pretty well’. This year I’ll be like: ‘No, lock in, lock in!” she said.
Harriet Dart, who came through qualifying along with Jones, took a more resigned view. “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.
Tournament organizers respond
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) addressed the issue in a statement. “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 statement read.
The complaints come as players prepare for the final Grand Slam of the year, with the smell adding an unexpected distraction to the outdoor courts at Flushing Meadows.
