Maria Sakkari, the No. 8 seed from Greece, faced an unexpected distraction during her first-round loss at the U.S. Open. She was defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Rebeka Masarova, a match that took a peculiar turn when Sakkari mentioned an odd smell to the chair umpire during a changeover.
Leading the Match but Distracted by the Smell
Sakkari was ahead 4-1 in the first set on Court 17 when she brought up the issue. "The smell, oh my gosh," she exclaimed. She speculated that the smell of marijuana was emanating from a nearby park.
Sakkari's Previous Experience with the Smell
A US Open semi-finalist two years ago, Sakkari stated that the smell didn't affect her gameplay. She had practised on the same court the previous day and had already noticed the smell. "You don't really think about it because all you care about is just to win the match," she said.
Other Players' Reactions to Similar Incidents
This isn't the first time a player has commented on the smell of marijuana during a match. Nick Kyrgios also complained about it last year, stating it probably wasn't good for him as he is asthmatic. However, Sakkari said it didn't cause her any issues during what became her third consecutive first-round exit in a Grand Slam tournament.
"Sometimes you smell food, sometimes you smell cigarettes, sometimes you smell weed," Sakkari remarked. "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."
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