Marijuana Smoke at the US Open: When a Public Park Challenges a Grand Slam
core_answer: Khói cần sa từ công viên Flushing Meadows-Corona Park xâm nhập sân ngoài US Open, gây phiền nhiễu cho nhiều tay vợt. USTA thừa nhận hạn chế kiểm soát ngoài khuôn viên do luật New York hợp pháp hóa cần sa năm 2021. Vấn đề tái diễn hàng năm nhưng chưa ảnh hưởng kết quả trận đấu.
key_facts: Sabalenka phàn nàn giữa trận ngày 30/8/2024 khi đang giao bóng tỉ số 30-0.; Ít nhất 8 tay vợt lên tiếng từ 2023-2024, gồm Djokovic, Zverev, Ruud.; USTA phối hợp NYPD nhưng không thể kiểm soát hành vi hợp pháp ngoài hàng rào.; Sabalenka thắng dễ dàng 6-3, 6-2 bất chấp gián đoạn, chuỗi thắng 16 trận.
source_attribution: Phân tích từ Stage-2 của VuaBong dựa trên báo cáo US Open 2024 | Cross-checked: VuaBong.vn
related_qa: q: Tại sao USTA không thể giải quyết triệt để vấn đề khói cần sa?, a: Vì hút cần sa trong công viên công cộng là hợp pháp theo luật New York, USTA chỉ có quyền kiểm soát trong khuôn viên giải đấu.; q: Các tay vợt nào bị ảnh hưởng nhiều nhất?, a: Các tay vợt thi đấu nhiều trên sân ngoài (Court 17, sân tập) như Boulter, Jones, Dart chịu ảnh hưởng nặng hơn so với các tay vợt trên sân chính.; q: Vấn đề này có ảnh hưởng đến kết quả các trận đấu không?, a: Chưa có bằng chứng cho thấy khói cần sa làm thay đổi kết quả; Sabalenka và các tay vợt hàng đầu vẫn thi đấu tốt bất chấp phiền nhiễu.
Hook
Aryna Sabalenka was serving in the fourth game of the first set, up 30-0, 3-0. She stopped mid-toss, turned to the umpire, and pointed toward the eastern fence of Court 17: 'The smell of marijuana is so strong, I can't concentrate.' It wasn't the first time a player complained about cannabis smoke at the US Open, but it was the first time it happened during a live point. No crowd noise, no subway rumble – just the scent from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park invading the playing area like an invisible opponent.
Context
The US Open is the only Grand Slam located next to a major public park. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center sits on the edge of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, an 898-acre green space in Queens, New York. Since 2026, New York State has legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 and over. That means anyone can legally smoke cannabis in the park – right next to the tournament grounds. The USTA bans smoking on its property, but as the organization itself admits: 'We have very little control over what happens just outside the perimeter.' They are working with the NYPD and park authorities, but it's an uneven fight between a private sports organization and state law.
Core
Since the 2026 US Open, the issue has been raised by many players. Maria Sakkari complained mid-match last year. Novak Djokovic called it 'a real problem' and noted that it 'affects some players far more than others.' This year, the list expanded: Alexander Zverev compared Court 17 to 'Snoop Dogg's living room,' Casper Ruud said the smell was 'so strong it's hard to focus,' and three British players – Katie Boulter, Fran Jones, and Harriet Dart – independently confirmed the same hotspot: the outer courts facing the park.
Data reveals a clear stratification: top players (Djokovic, Sabalenka, Zverev) have louder voices and more media attention, but mid-ranked players – who play more matches on outer courts – may suffer more. Boulter, Britain's No. 1 seed, played three matches on outer courts in the first week and said the smell 'appears on every practice court and match court near the park.' This creates a competitive inequity: a player scheduled on Arthur Ashe or Louis Armstrong is almost unaffected, while another must face an uncontrollable distraction.
However, the impact on match results appears minimal. Sabalenka, despite the interruption, won comfortably 6-3, 6-2 against Kamilla Rakhimova and extended her US Open winning streak to 16 matches. She joked afterward: 'Maybe I'll try a puff and see if it helps.' Sakkari also refused to use the smoke as an excuse. This suggests that top players can maintain focus despite the nuisance – or at least, they don't want to be seen as complainers.
Contrarian
But look closer: the real issue isn't the smell. It's the governance structure. The USTA cannot ban smoking in a public park because it's legal. They cannot ask the NYPD to crack down because police have other priorities. So what's the solution? Some proposals: higher physical barriers, air filtration systems, or scheduling adjustments to minimize outer-court play during peak park hours. But all are costly and uncertain. In fact, the problem may worsen as cannabis legalization expands. The US Open is the guinea pig for a challenge other tournaments will soon face.
Interestingly, players seem to accept this reality. They complain, but no one has requested a match postponement or a court change. They know the USTA is powerless. So the marijuana smoke story at the US Open is not a sports crisis – it's a test of the boundary between tournament privacy and public space. A test the US Open is losing point by point.
Takeaway
When the world looks at the goal, I look at the off-ball run. Here, when the world looks at the cannabis smell, I look at the legal structure creating it. The US Open will never control Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. But if they don't find a way to coexist – by redesigning court spaces or negotiating with city authorities – this story will return every year like a seasonal wind, carrying the scent of a problem without a solution.