A Familiar Problem Returns to Flushing Meadows
As the US Open gets underway in New York, British number one Katie Boulter has raised a concern that has followed the tournament for years: the smell of cannabis drifting onto the courts from nearby Corona Park. Cannabis is legal for adults in New York, and while smoking is not permitted inside the tournament grounds, the odor regularly finds its way onto court through the open air surrounding the facility.
Boulter, who faces American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee in her opening match, said she has noticed the smell frequently on the practice courts. She described it as something that pulls her concentration away at exactly the wrong moment. "I'm not a huge fan of it," she said, adding that she had already experienced it during a previous match at the event. The distraction is unwelcome for a player who needs complete focus heading into a Grand Slam first round.
British Players Take Different Views
Boulter is not alone among her compatriots in noticing the issue. Fran Jones, who qualified for the main draw and opens against Poland's Magda Linette, recalled joking about it during a match last year, wryly suggesting the smell may have helped her performance. Harriet Dart, who beat fellow Brit Heather Watson in qualifying and now faces Peyton Stearns, took a more relaxed stance, pointing out that the smell is simply part of the New York experience.
The problem is not new. Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios, and Maria Sakkari have all commented on it in previous editions. The United States Tennis Association says it works with local authorities to manage smoking along the site boundary, though it acknowledges it cannot control what happens off the grounds. TennisDraw users backing Boulter for a deep run will be hoping the air clears before her campaign really gets going.
