Tennis players raise concerns over cannabis smell at US Open 2026
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Tennis players raise concerns over cannabis smell at US Open 2026")
Tennis players raise concerns over cannabis smell at US Open 2026 Photograph: (AFP)
British tennis star Katie Boulter has revealed that the smell of cannabis was an unexpected distraction while she was competing on court at the US Open.
The 2026 US Open singles tournament will begin on Sunday (Aug 30), with Carlos Alcaraz returning to action in his first individual competition since suffering a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April. ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will miss the tournament due to a knee injury, while Novak Djokovic will aim to claim his 25th Grand Slam title.
Rising star Alex Eala is expected to attract strong support from fans in New York, while Aryna Sabalenka will look to regain her winning form.
However, a day before the tournament begins, British No. 1 Katie Boulter has raised concerns about the smell of cannabis around the US Open venue. Cannabis is legal for adults aged 21 and above in New York, but Boulter said the smell can be distracting during matches and practice sessions.
The British player explained that the smell sometimes “takes you out of the moment”.
“Yeah, I have experienced it,” she said.
“You go down to the practice courts and down in the park courts, you do smell it a lot.
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“I mean, it’s not great. We’ll find out how the practice goes. If it goes well or not, I don’t know. We’ll see.
“But I’m not a huge fan of it. I know a lot of players have complained on some of the specific courts.
“I played on the court in the corner over there. And I did smell it during my match. It’s something that I wouldn’t like to smell in the middle of my match. I’m trying to focus and then, obviously, it takes you out of the moment."
“You don’t need distractions. So, yeah, I wasn’t a huge fan of it.”
Boulter will begin her US Open campaign against American wild card Carol Young Suh Lee in the first round.
This is not the first time a tennis player has complained about the issue. In 2022, Nick Kyrgios said a fan smoking near the court had triggered his asthma. The umpire then asked the spectator to stop smoking.
Boulter’s fellow British players Fran Jones and Harriet Dart have also spoken about the issue. Jones previously said:
“Last year I made a joke about that, in my first round, and I said to the guy, ‘Is this normal?’
“Because I was on the stadium, and it’s next to the park. He’s like, ‘Yeah.’ And I was like, ‘Well, no wonder I’m playing pretty well.’
“This year I’ll be like, ‘No, lock in, lock in!’”
The United States Tennis Association also addressed the matter in a statement, “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.”
