US Open tennis returns to “Snoop Dogg’s living room”

One unexpected side effect of the legal recreational cannabis boom across several U.S. states over the past decade is its impact on live sports.

Where tobacco smoking was once allowed, the law now effectively requires organizers to tolerate people lighting up joints. That’s exactly what’s happening at the US Open in New York this week, a tournament that has reignited a conversation that made headlines years ago.

Cannabis law in New York

In New York State, home to the Big Apple, adults 21 and older have been allowed since 2021, under the Marihuana Regulation & Taxation Act, to carry up to three ounces (about 85 grams) of cannabis for personal use outside their homes, plus up to 24 grams of cannabis concentrates. Consumption is legal in public spaces and private venues that allow smoking. In big cities like New York and Los Angeles, it’s not unusual to catch a whiff while strolling down the street.

Ruud echoes Zverev’s cannabis complaint

But apparently, the smell doesn’t go over so well on the tennis court at the US Open. At least, that’s the view of Casper Ruud, who called it “very annoying.” Speaking on Sunday, the Norwegian said it’s “the worst part of the tournament” but that he has no choice but to “adapt,” since the only solution would be a law change, a highly unlikely scenario given the booming cannabis industry.

Alexander Zverev put it even more vividly. Two years ago, he joked that the courts “smell like Snoop Dogg’s living room,” referencing the rapper well-known for his love of cannabis.

“Four years ago, I played a match against Svitolina, and you could already notice it in the air, though it didn’t affect me,” recalls Ukrainian-born Spaniard Marta Masarova, who until recently competed for Spain, reflecting on this unexpected distraction.

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