Us Open, the air on the courts smells of cannabis and tennis players are complaining

The tennis players of the US Open, which runs until September 10, 2023, are bothered by a strong smell of cannabis. During his match against the Japanese Taro Daniel in the night between Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30, the French Gaël Monfils he complained to the referee: «There is a strong smell now, isn’t it? It does not make sense”.

And it’s not the only one. In New York, especially on the fields annexed to Flushing Meadows, the smell of marijuana is spreading. German Alexander Zverev he went further: «Camp 17 definitely smells like the living room of Snoop Dogg. Oh my god, it’s everywhere. The whole field smells like weed.’

The French Adrian Mannarino he told RMC Sport: «In the four corners of the field there are also slightly different smells. It can be weed on one side, shit on the other… It’s not necessarily easy, but you have to deal with it. You have to stay focused on the game. It’s never easy, but it’s also a tournament known for this».

Legalization

This particular smell is nothing new to the US Open. In 2022, the Australian Nick Kyrgios he had already complained about the fumes of the herb because he suffers from asthma. New York State (like 22 other US states) legalized the possession and use of cannabis in 2021. Smoking is not permitted in the stadium, but the wind can carry the smells from outside.

The Greek Maria Sakkari, number 8 in the world, said: «Sometimes you smell the food, sometimes the cigarettes, sometimes the weed. It’s something we can’t control, because we’re in an open space. There’s a park out back. People can do whatever they want…”