Alexander Zverev added his name to the list of players who smelled weed at the 2023 US Open, using humour to convey it.
Recreational use of 'weed' has been legal in New York since 2021, so it shouldn't surprise people that you can smell in the city. It's a rather strong scent that most people can identify pretty quickly, even if they have never consumed it.
Last year, Nick Kyrgios complained about it, explaining to the umpire that it was triggering his asthma. This year we've seen Maria Sakkari complain about it to the umpire even though after the match she didn't want to blame her loss on it.
Court No. 17 is the court where it happened, and there is a good explanation for it. The court sits adjacent to Corona Park, where many people like to relax. As Sakkari explained, sometimes it's food, sometimes it's cigarettes, and sometimes it's simply weed.
Sometimes you smell food, sometimes you smell cigarettes, sometimes you smell weed. 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.
Alexander Zverev seemed to back up her claims as he humorously joked that it smelled like Snoop Dogg's living room. The American rapper is a rather famous weed consumer, in case you're not familiar with the reference.
Court 17 definitely smells like Snoop Dogg ’s living room. Oh my God, it’s everywhere. The whole court smells like weed.
However, last year, Kyrgios didn't play his match on that court, though. He played on Louis Armstrong, but considering how strong the scent is and the legality of it, the scent can carry on to the bigger courts, which are not open. Court No. 17 as an open one shouldn't come as a surprise.