Tennis star caught wind of pot smell at US Open

The US Open is not played on grass, but there was apparently still a lot of green on Monday when the last tennis grand slam of the year began in New York.

In the women’s, eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari lost in a surprise round in the opening round to unseeded Spaniard Rebeka Masarova in straight sets – a match missed by Greece’s Sakkari.

Sakkari led 4-1 in the first set against Masarova and reportedly complained to the referee about a distinct odor hanging over the pitch.

“It was grass,” Sakkari said after the game, as quoted by the Associated Press.

Sakkari never won another game in that set, eventually losing to Masarova 6-4, 6-4 in a row.

“The smell, oh my god,” said Sakkari. “I think it’s from the park.”

The US Open, held annually in Flushing, Queens, takes place in a very different setting than most tennis tournaments. Venues can clearly hear the nearby subways, and the area, which is also home to New York Mets Stadium and a park, attracts many revelers.

Since 2021, when recreational marijuana was legalized in New York, the familiar smell of cannabis has also been part of the US Open experience.

At last year’s Open, Australian men’s player Nick Kyrgios also noticed the scent during his second-round match.

“You don’t want to remind anyone not to do it or something?” Kyrgios said to the referee of the match, which he won in four sets.

After the game, Kyrgios said the smell was a hindrance for him on the pitch.

“People don’t know that I have severe asthma. So if I’m running back and forth and already having trouble breathing, that’s probably not something I want to breathe between points,” Kyrgios said at the time.

CNN reported at the time that the referee in Kyrgios’ game “reminded fans not to smoke on the pitch once the game was back on.”

For her part, Sakkari didn’t have many complaints about the smell and downplayed his role in her loss on Monday.

“You don’t really think about it because all you care about is winning the game,” said Sakkari, quoted by the Associated Press. “I smelled it, but that’s it. It was something I didn’t pay attention to.”

“Sometimes you smell food, sometimes you smell cigarettes, sometimes you smell weed,” she added. “I mean, that’s something we can’t control because we’re in an open space. Behind is a park. People can do whatever they want.”

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open each year, strictly prohibits smoking on the premises.

“No smoking as this is a smoke-free environment,” states the venue’s code of conduct.

Marijuana for adult use was legalized in the Empire State in 2021 when then-Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill ending prohibition. Effective immediately, the law made it possible for adults over the age of 21 to smoke wherever smoking is prohibited.

But Cuomo’s successor, current New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, signed into law last year restricting the places New Yorkers can get high.

The bill specifically banned smoking “on all state beaches, boardwalks, marinas, playgrounds, recreation centers and group camps.”

“Smoking is a dangerous habit that affects not only the smoker but everyone around them, including families and children who enjoy our state’s great public spaces,” Hochul said in a statement after the bill was signed. “I’m proud to be signing this law, which protects the health of New Yorkers and helps reduce litter in public parks and beaches across the state.”

Hochul’s office explained at the time that many “municipalities and local governments already have restrictions or bans on smoking in public places”. This additional penalty will enforce a nationwide ban and will include a fine that will be collected by the communities.”

“In addition to the health risks posed by secondhand smoke, cigarette butts pose a major environmental hazard due to the non-biodegradable filters that are discarded.” They are the main item found during clean-up operations. This ban will keep parks and beaches cleaner and safer, as well as our local ecosystems,” the governor’s office said in the press release issued at the time.

Under the new law, which applies to both tobacco and cannabis smoking, violators will be fined $50.

The legal cannabis market in New York officially took off late last year with the opening of a dispensary in Manhattan’s East Village.

Under the state’s marijuana law, the first 100-200 dispensary license holders will be individuals with marijuana-related criminal records.

“New York State is making history and introducing a unique approach to the cannabis industry that takes a major step forward in righting past wrongs,” Hochul said last year. “The rules proposed today by the Cannabis Control Board will prioritize local farmers and entrepreneurs, creating jobs and opportunity for communities that have been excluded and left behind. I am proud that New York will be a national model for the safe, just and inclusive industry we are now building.”