Overview

• Ruud called the marijuana odor the worst thing about New York, said the smell is everywhere including on the courts, and added that players cannot do anything unless the law is reversed.
• The world No. 12 advanced by defeating Sebastian Ofner in straight sets, indicating the complaint did not derail his opening-round performance.
• The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center prohibits smoking, yet New York’s 2021 legalization allows cannabis use where tobacco is permitted, complicating enforcement outside the grounds.
• Tournament representatives have previously found no evidence of smoking inside stadiums and have said the odor likely drifts in from nearby public park areas.
• Spectators offered sharply differing views on the smell and some staff described unclear guidance on handling vaping or smoke, while prior complaints from Maria Sakkari, Nick Kyrgios, and Alexander Zverev show the issue is persistent.