Greek Tennis player Maria Sakkari was shockingly bothered by a smell of marijuana during her US Open clash against Rebeka Masarova in the first round on Monday. Even as the 28-year-old was rolling off the court, Sakkari could smell it and mentioned about it to the chair umpire during a changeover tenure.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Sakkari could be heard saying:
"It was weed. The smell, oh my gosh. I think it’s from the park."
However, the 28-year-old stated that the strong smell didn't affect her focus while playing.
"You don’t really think about it, because all you care is just to win the match. I smelled it, but that was it. Like, it wasn’t something that I paid attention to."
Australian Tennis player Nick Krygios had also complained about smelling marijuana during a game last year and revealed that the smell wasn't good for him, given his asthma problem.
"There’s a park behind" - Maria Sakkari
Sakkari further stated that if people feel the need to consume weed, they should do so at an open space behind the tennis court. The Greek player said after the game:
"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."
Sakkari, meanwhile, failed to make it through to the second round after losing 4-6 4-6 to Masarova. It's worth noting that the 28-year-old was leading the contest 4-1 and looked on track to secure the first set. Addressing her defeat, Sakkari said:
"My level has been poor and I have to do something about that. It’s very uncertain; I don’t know what I’ll do."
