Tennis players complain
“Smells like Snoop Dogg’s living room” – US Open in the marijuana haze
Status: 30.08.2023 | Reading time: 2 minutes
“The weed smells very good”
In New York, marijuana has been sold legally for recreational purposes since 2022 – consumption around the US Open facility is causing a stir among tennis professionals these days. Alexander Zverev sees the whole thing rather relaxed.
The US Open has a problem. Around the tournament in New York, there is so much weed that a number of tennis professionals feel disturbed. A German says that’s why she stopped her training. Alexander Zverev sees the whole thing rather relaxed.
It’s been almost two weeks since the federal government introduced the draft law to legalize cannabis. Possibly at the turn of the year, enjoying it could be legal in this country. In New York, marijuana has been sold legally for recreational purposes since 2022 – consumption around the US Open facility is causing a stir among tennis professionals these days.
After winning the first round, Tamara Korpatsch reported about the penetrating smell that caused her breathing problems. “Then I can’t breathe, I can’t continue playing either, I have to go straight to a place where it smells good,” said the 28-year-old German.
In eighth place in the opening win against Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu, she didn’t notice this on Tuesday, but it was worse on the training grounds. “In New York, I like everything except smoking marijuana. I hate that smell. That’s the only thing I don’t like about New York,” said Korpatsch, who had to stop training in 17th place. Australian Nick Kyrgios has said in the past that he has asthma and that the smell is causing him problems.
“Oh my god, it’s literally everywhere”
The facility for the last Grand Slam tournament of the year is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in northern New York’s Queens borough. From there, too, the smell wafts over the squares. “Oh my God, it’s literally everywhere, the whole square smells of weed,” said Alexander Zverev after moving into the second round: “Court 17 smells like Snoop Dogg’s living room.” He himself has no problem with that: “I’m happy for the New Yorkers. The grass smells good.”
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Already on the first day of the tournament, Maria Sakkari had complained about the smell of marijuana when changing sides. But she didn’t want to blame her first round defeat on that. “Sometimes you smell food, sometimes you smell cigarettes, sometimes you smell weed,” said the Greek: “We can’t control that because we’re in a public space. There is a park behind it. People can do what they want.”
A New York shop selling marijuana
Quelle: picture alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com/Nancy Siesel
