Overview

• Ruud told media the cannabis odor is noticeable throughout the venue, including during practices and matches, and he called it the tournament’s worst feature.
• He said playing beside people smoking is bothersome and suggested nothing will change unless the law is revised, which he doubts will happen.
• Reporters tie the persistent smell to New York’s 2021–2022 legalization framework that allows marijuana use wherever tobacco use is permitted.
• Coverage points to adjacent Corona Park as a likely source of drifting smoke, though officials have not identified a single origin.
• The issue predates this year, with Maria Sakkari protesting the smell during a past match, Alexander Zverev joking about Court 17, and Rebeka Masarova recalling it in 2021, while no new enforcement steps have been reported as Ruud prepares to face Sebastian Ofner.