The unmistakable scent of cannabis has returned to the US Open and has sparked immense frustration among athletes just a day before the main draw begins. British tennis player Katie Boulter has admitted that the smell of cannabis has become a major distraction at practice courts.
As reported by the BBC, Boulter stated, “I’m not a huge fan of it. 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.”
While recreational cannabis has been legal for adults over 21 in New York, smoking is strictly prohibited inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and the scent frequently lingers over the heavily populated neighbouring Corona Park.
By raising this concern, Boulter now joins a growing list of players including Novak Djokovic, who spoke about this issue in 2015 and Alexander Zverev, who in 2023 stated, “The whole court smells like weed”.
While the off-court distraction remains to be an unwanted nuisance, Boulter and her fellow competitors are ultimate professionals, focusing on the main draw as it officially gets underway on August 30, and the focus will quickly shift from the courtside aroma back to elite tennis on display.
As reported by The Guardian, The United States Tennis Association (USTA), is working towards this recurring issue as they stated, “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.”
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