Something smells bad in the US Open tennis tournament. A heavy smell of marijuana, which disturbed the players’ concentration, has been reported from one of the courts.
The source of the marijuana smell had not yet been identified as of Tuesday, but one thing is clear: Court 17, where among others 8-seed Maria Sakkari of Greece complained of an overwhelming smell of drugs during her opening match loss, has become notorious among players over the years for its unmistakable stench .
Germany’s Alexander Zverev played on hole 17 on Tuesday and compared the smell to what rapper and marijuana enthusiast Snoop Dogg’s living room probably smells like.
— My God, it’s everywhere. The whole track smells like grass.
Chris Widmaier, a spokesman for the United States Tennis Association (USTA), said it spoke to people at the scene and reviewed video footage of the lunchtime match on the court but found no evidence of anyone smoking marijuana in the stands.
Instead, Widmaier now believes that the marijuana smell probably originates from Corona Park, which is located right outside the entrance to the now infamous track. And the speculation may turn out to be more than just a smokescreen.
When Maria Sakkari complained about the smell during her match on the court, she said: “The smell, my God. I think it’s coming from the park.”
Over the years, several players have complained about the smell of marijuana on court 17, which is a smaller tennis arena with room for 2,500 spectators.