Players at the US Open in New York complain that the smell of marijuana is becoming an unwanted distraction

Players at the US Open in New York say smoking marijuana is becoming an unexpected distraction/ Photo by Dave Dellinger/USTA The 2026 US Open is set to begin on Sunday, but as the world’s best players prepare for this year’s final Grand Slam, some competitors are dealing with an unexpected distraction around Flushing Meadows: the smell of cannabis wafting in from a nearby park.British players Katie Boulter, Fran Jones and Harriet Dart have noticed an odor around the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with Boulter saying it can affect her concentration during practice and matches.The tournament begins on August 30, with Carlos Alcaraz returning to singles competition for the first time since injuring his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April. World number one Jannik Sinner will miss the event with a knee injury, while Novak Djokovic will be aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title. Rising star Alex Eala is also expected to get strong support from the New York fans, while Aryna Sabalenka will look to rediscover her best form.

Boulter: “You don’t need to distract”

Cannabis is legal in New York for adults 21 and older, although smoking is not permitted on the grounds of the tennis center. However, the venue is next to Corona Park and the smell may carry over to some of the practice and outdoor courts.Boulter, the British No. 1 and 60th in the world, said she encountered it both in training and during matches.“Yes, I’ve experienced it. You go down to the practice courts and down in the park, you feel it a lot,” Boulter said.“But yeah, I’m not a big fan of it. I know a lot of players have complained about certain courts.”“I’ve played on one before and felt it during the game. It’s something I don’t want to feel in the middle of a game.”“I’m trying to focus and then obviously it takes you out of the moment, and you really don’t want that. You don’t need a distraction. So yeah, I wasn’t a big fan of it.”

Jones remembers the smell from last year’s US Open

Boulter is not the only British player to have noticed. Fran Jones, the British No.3, recalled encountering the smell during a first-round match at last year’s tournament and said she initially wondered if it was just part of playing so close to the park.“I was making fun of it last year, in the first round, and I said to the guy, ‘Is this normal?’ Because I’ve been to the stadium and it’s next to the park,” Jones said.“He’s like, ‘Yeah.’ and I was like, “Well, no wonder I’m playing pretty well.”“This year I’m going to be like ‘no, shut up, shut up!’Jones, who qualified for this year’s tournament, begins her campaign against Poland’s Magda Linette on Monday.Harriet Dart, who also qualified, took a more typically New York approach to the situation.“I mean, it’s New York. It’s New York. I feel like everywhere you go, it’s everywhere, right? It’s the way it is. The same for everybody,” Dart said.Dart will face American Peyton Stearns in the first round.

It’s been a problem at the US Open before

The smell of cannabis has become a recurring point of contention at Flushing Meadows, with players from outside the UK raising similar concerns in previous editions.In 2022, Australian doubles player Nick Kyrgios complained that a spectator smoking on court was affecting his asthma, prompting the umpire to ask fans to stop smoking.A year later, Greece’s Maria Sakkari drew attention to the referee’s smell during a match. She later clarified that this was not an excuse for her defeat.Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev also noticed the stench around the tournament earlier.The United States Tennis Association, which organizes the US Open, has acknowledged the difficulty of dealing with off-court activity.“While we cannot control what takes place outside the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we remain vigilant as we maintain it,” the USTA said in a statement.The organization said it is working with local police and the parks department to address the problem of smoking around the campus boundary.As the 2026 US Open kicks off on Sunday, the smell of cannabis is likely to remain a background issue in a tournament already full of headline stories. Alcaraz will return to action, Sinner will be absent, Djokovic will be chasing another historic title, Eala will be looking to make the most of strong local support and Sabalenka will be aiming to regain her winning form.Boulter opens against American wild card Carol Young Suh Lee, while Jones and Dart begin their campaigns against Linette and Stearns.