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NY Post
New York Post
28 Aug 2023


NextImg:Maria Sakkari complains of weed smell during upset loss at US Open: ‘Oh my gosh’

The U.S. Open is hardcourt, but it was the grass bothering Maria Sakkari.

The eighth-seeded Greek complained about the strong smell of pot during her 6-4, 6-4 first-round upset loss to Rebeka Masarova.

“It was weed,” Sakkari said. “The smell, oh my gosh. I think it’s from the park.”

Sakkari was rolling along in seeming command of the match, until the stench wafting into Court 17 prompted her to complain to the chair umpire.

She was up 4-1 in the first set before the changeover that changed the match.

Maria Sakkari lost on Monday at the U.S. Open.
Getty Images
Maria Sakkari pumps her fist.
Maria Sakkari, the No. 8 seed, fell in straight sets to Rebeka Masarova on Monday at the U.S. Open.
Getty Images

“It wasn’t the smell that affected the score in any way. It was just a comment because I didn’t expect to smell it. But it has nothing to do with the match,” Sakkari said. “You don’t really think about it, because all you care is to win the match. I smelled it, but that was it. It was not something I paid attention of.”

Nick Kyrgios had griped about the smell of weed at last year’s U.S. Open.

But Sakkari made no excuses in her third straight first-round exit in a Slam.

Maria Sakkari hits a tennis ball.
Maria Sakkari complained about smelling marijuana during her first-round loss to Rebeka Masarova.
Getty Images

“It was smelling [Sunday] when I was practicing there. It’s irrelevant,” Sakkari shrugged. “Sometimes it smells food, sometimes it smells cigarettes, sometimes it smells weed. It’s something that we cannot control because we’re in an open space. There’s a park behind, people can do whatever they want. It’s nothing that we can control.”