High stakes: Cannabis complaints cloud US Open

If Wimbledon is renowned for its poise and class then US Open is the epitome of organised chaos. A cacophony of sounds compounded by the 'thwack' of the bat reigns supreme in this atmosphere.

However, according to a report by The Guardian, 'one distraction' has been able to break through the barrier and make a place for itself in the game. It is the pungent smell of marijuana.

Interestingly, this odor is not only restrained to spectators on the stand but has made its way across the court, toying with a player's senses.

Casper Ruud, the 2022 US Open runner-up from Norway was the latest to complain regarding the smell. For me, this is the worst thing about New York. The smell of cannabis. It’s everywhere, even here where the tournament is being played.

"But we have to accept it. I think it’s annoying to be on the court while someone smokes a joint. It’s no fun for us players to be tired and have to inhale the smell of hashish at the same time. We can’t do anything about it unless the law changes, but I doubt that will happen."

The problem has reached to such proportions that Danish media have even monikered Court 17 hash-banen – the “hash court”.

Though USTA has maintained a strict no-smoking policy since 2011, it became counter-productive after the legalisation of recreational cannabis in 2021.

However, the player's protest at US open began prior to legalisation of weed. A bunch of players including Nick Kyrgios, Maria Sakkari, Alexander Zverev and Martina Hingis have all voiced frustration over the smell of weed on court.

According to the publication, it was Maria Sakkari's who, while playing the match pleaded with the chair umpire about the distraction. She later told reporters, "Sometimes it smells food, sometimes it smells cigarettes, sometimes it smells weed. It’s something that we cannot control because we’re in an open space. There’s a park behind. People can do whatever they want.”

Other players too have complained with one of them calling Court 17, "Snoop Dogg’s living room".

After Sakkari's comments, USTA reviewed video footage and interviewed staff and said that they found 'No evidence of fans lighting up inside Court 17. Instead they suggested that the smoke can travel from the nearby park'.

“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 facility as a smoke free environment,” a USTA spokesperson said.

However, it is not just spectators who are prone to lighting it up. One camera operator, who requested anonymity to protect his job, said he now relies on edibles to get through marathon shifts that sometimes stretch past 16 hours.

The security around the area has assured that they remain vigilant. However, even they say they can't control the surroundings.