Overview
- Several players, led by Britain’s Katie Boulter, reported the smell of cannabis distracting them during practice and early matches as the US Open main draw began this weekend.
- The strongest odour is reported on Court 17 and on practice and smaller outdoor courts because those sites sit closest to Flushing Meadows Corona Park and are open to wind-driven scent.
- The USTA says it enforces a no-smoking policy inside the grounds and works with NYPD and the Parks Department but repeatedly notes it cannot control lawful activity on adjacent public parkland.
- Players have raised the same complaint for years, with past voices including Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios, and organisers’ past investigations have pointed to the park rather than spectators as the source.
- New York legalized recreational cannabis in 2021, which allows use by adults on parkland and helps explain why organisers have not announced any structural fixes to stop scent drift onto outdoor courts.