British tennis players competing at the US Open have expressed their frustrations over the smell of marijuana surrounding the tournament venue. Although marijuana is legal for adults in New York, players have noted that the scent can be intrusive, particularly from nearby Corona Park.
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Katie Boulter, Britain’s top-ranked player, remarked on her experience at the practice courts, stating, "I’m not a huge fan of it. I know a lot of players have complained on some of the specific courts. I did smell it during my match, and it takes you out of the moment. You don’t need distractions."
Fran Jones, ranked third among British players, reflected on a humorous moment from last year when she questioned the presence of the smell during her match. This year, she aims to stay focused, saying, "I’ll be like: ‘No, lock in, lock in!’"
Harriet Dart, who qualified for the tournament alongside Jones, added, "I feel like everywhere you walk around, it’s everywhere. It is what it is. Same for everyone."
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) commented, noting, "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."
In other news, Arthur Fery has reached the first ATP Tour final of his career at the Winston-Salem Open. His opponent, James Duckworth, retired due to injury while Fery was leading 6-4, 1-2. Fery will face Peru’s Ignacio Buse in the final, who is ranked No 36 in the world and recently defeated Benjamin Bonzi. Fery, who just missed being seeded at the US Open, is set to compete against world No 14 Lorenzo Musetti in his main-draw debut.