The US Open has arrived, bringing with it one of its traditions: player complaints about the marijuana smell that permeates some of its courts. Every year, for the past five years, a tennis player, in the middle of a five-set match, under the sun at 35 degrees, looks up and asks the chair umpire if that smell is normal. "This is impossible," some complain, and the referee can only respond that they should get used to it, that there's nothing they can do.
This edition saw British player Katie Boulter, ranked 62nd in the world, open the complaint book. On Sunday, she made her debut with a victory against American Carol Young Suh Lee in the first round. As she explained, during practice sessions, the smell of cannabis infiltrated her court strongly, making it difficult to maintain concentration. "It's hard not to get distracted, I don't like it," commented the player, supported by her compatriots Fran Jones and Harriet Dart, who were also bothered. Their complaints reached the organization through the English media, and the response was the same standard statement: smoking is not allowed on their premises, and they are not responsible for what happens outside.
Since 2021, smoking marijuana in New York has been legal for those over 21, and the entire city smells: the subway, Manhattan stores, even the taxis coming to and from the airport. The smell is now part of the landscape, like the Empire State Building. And if the aroma multiplies at Flushing Meadows, the venue of the US Open, it's because the facility is surrounded by a public park, Corona Park. There, every day, especially on holidays, half of Queens goes for picnics, runs, or simply smokes, without caring that a Grand Slam is being played 200 meters away.
Jódar and Badosa on the cursed court
Inside the venue, there is indeed a cursed court, court number 17, a natural border between elite sports and recreational consumption next door. Due to its proximity to the park, it has gained a reputation for being aromatic over the years, with each edition adding a new chapter to its particular legend. It was there that Maria Sakkari complained to the chair umpire, stating that the smell was not hers or her opponent's. It was there that Alexander Zverev described the atmosphere as being like Snoop Dogg's living room. And there, before, Nick Kyrgios, now sanctioned for cocaine use, protested, claiming that the secondhand smoke worsened his asthma. Casper Ruud joined the cause, stating that wherever he goes in the complex, he encounters the same aroma, and even Novak Djokovic, with his 24 Grand Slam titles, admitted that against the wind from Corona Park, no backhand was effective.
Precisely this Tuesday, on that court 17, two Spaniards will return to the front line, quite literally. Paula Badosa will face Daria Kasatkina, and right after on the same court, Rafa Jódar will make his Grand Slam debut against Thanasi Kokkinakis. Neither of them has complained about the court yet, and they may not, but if they do, they will just be part of the tradition. The US Open smells like marijuana, and for now, nothing seems to be able to change that.