Maria Sakkari had a candid encounter with a peculiar courtside scent at the U.S. Open. Even while in the heat of the match, Maria Sakkari found herself grappling not only with her opponent but also an unexpected odor wafting around the court. “It was weed,” Sakkari bluntly stated, recounting a rather unusual experience during her U.S. Open journey.
The Greek tennis sensation, seeded at No. 8, faced an early exit from the tournament after a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Rebeka Masarova in the first round. While Sakkari had a grasp on the match’s tempo, she couldn’t ignore a distinct smell that seemed to emanate from the surroundings. Seated during a changeover, she raised the issue with the chair umpire, mentioning the peculiar scent. “The smell, oh my gosh,” Sakkari exclaimed. “I think it’s from the park.”
Despite the apparent distraction, Sakkari clarified that the aroma of marijuana didn’t interfere with her gameplay. She had previously practiced on the same court the day before and had already noticed the scent then. “You don’t really think about it, because all you care is just to win the match,” Sakkari stated. “I smelled it, but that was it. Like, it wasn’t something that I paid attention to.”
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that a tennis player has had a close encounter with the scent of marijuana on the court. Nick Kyrgios had voiced similar complaints last year, expressing concerns about his asthma and how the smell might impact him during matches. For Sakkari, however, the experience didn’t seem to affect her performance, even though her U.S. Open journey ended with her third consecutive first-round exit in a Grand Slam tournament.
Sakkari’s nonchalant attitude reflects the reality of playing in an open environment. “Sometimes you smell food, sometimes you smell cigarettes, sometimes you smell weed,” Sakkari noted. “I mean, it’s something we cannot control, because we’re in an open space. There’s a park behind. People can do whatever they want.”
In the unpredictable world of sports, where unexpected moments are part and parcel of the game, Sakkari’s encounter with an unconventional courtside scent adds a unique tale to her tennis journey.
