# The Unofficial Scent of Flushing Meadows: Cannabis Clouds and the Battle for Concentration

**By Amelie Fontaine**  \nPublished August 30, 2026  \nUpdated September 9, 2026

> While the Honey Deuce remains the US Open's signature drink, a drifting aroma of marijuana from nearby Corona Park is becoming the tournament's unofficial signature scent, challenging player focus.

If the Honey Deuce is the official signature cocktail of the US Open, a more pungent aroma is making a strong claim for the tournament's unofficial signature scent. As the final major of the season commences at Flushing Meadows, players are finding themselves grappling with a sensory intrusion that no amount of elite training can prepare them for: the drifting smell of cannabis wafting from the adjacent Corona Park.

The phenomenon is most concentrated near Court 17. Sunken below ground level and nicknamed 'the pit,' the 2,500-seater bowl has earned a cheekier moniker from the Danish media: *'hash-banen'*, or the 'hash court.' Alexander Zverev once famously referred to the venue as 'Snoop Dogg’s living room,' and for many competitors, that description feels increasingly literal.

## The Geography of the Drift

The issue is one of precise, unfortunate geography. While the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center maintains a strict smoke-free policy within its grounds, it is nestled directly against the borders of Corona Park. In New York, where recreational marijuana use is legal for adults aged 21 and over, the tournament finds itself in a jurisdictional gray zone. The USTA can enforce rules within the facility, but they have no authority over the private citizens enjoying the park just beyond the fenceline.

The scent doesn't just haunt the sunken depths of Court 17; it drifts across practice courts and reaches other outdoor venues, including Court 15. For players fighting for every point, this airborne encroachment is more than a curiosity—it is a distraction.

## The Mental Friction of Concentration

For British number one Katie Boulter, the aroma is a legitimate hurdle in the pursuit of peak performance. The world number 60, who prepares to face American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee, noted that the smell is a frequent presence on the practice courts.

> “I’m not a huge fan of it,” Boulter said. “I know a lot of players have complained on some of the specific courts. I’ve played on one before 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 and you really don’t want to. You don’t need distractions.”

This sentiment is echoed by Francesca Jones, who qualified on Friday following a victory over Joanna Garland on Court 15. Jones described the intensity of the odor during her match as 'really bad,' noting that it had become a recurring topic of conversation. While Jones found a way to navigate the tension with humor—joking about 'hallucinating' before telling herself to 'lock in'—the underlying frustration regarding the loss of mental sanctity is evident.

## A History of Atmospheric Conflict

This is not a new grievance at Flushing Meadows. The history of the tournament includes various players navigating environmental oddities. In 2014, Martina Hingis questioned if someone was 'smoking some heavy s***' during a doubles match on Grandstand. More significantly, the scent has collided with physical health in the past.

In 2022, Australian star Nick Kyrgios experienced a volatile moment when the smell allegedly triggered his asthma. After sensing marijuana in the air, Kyrgios directed his frustration at the umpire, noting that for an athlete running side-to-side, respiratory interference is a critical disadvantage. “When a sportsperson is running from side to side and has asthma, that is probably not ideal,” he explained at the time.

## The New York Reality

The response to the drifting scent remains split between those who view it as a disruption to the sport and those who view it as an inseparable part of the New York identity. Harriet Dart, who secured her place in the main draw by defeating Heather Watson, offered a pragmatic, if somewhat resigned, perspective.

“It’s New York,” Dart remarked. “I feel like everywhere you walk around, it’s everywhere, no?”

As the tournament progresses, the USTA maintains it is working with the NYPD and the Parks Department to decrease smoking near the fenceline. However, as long as the courts remain adjacent to the legal recreational spaces of Corona Park, the battle between elite concentration and the 'unofficial scent' of the city will likely continue.

## Sources

- [apps.apple.com](https://apps.apple.com/np/app/among-us/id1351168404?see-all=reviews&platform=iphone) — original
- [dailymail.com](https://www.dailymail.com/sport/tennis/article-16089139/British-US-Open-notorious-hash-court-Alexander-Zverev-Snoop-Dogg.html) — original
- [bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/c74exxnd7r3o) — original
- [sport.cz](https://www.sport.cz/clanek/tenis-us-open-kuriozni-moment-tenisovy-bourlivak-kyrgios-si-stezoval-na-zapach-marihuany-3591324) — original