Tennis fans at the U.S. Open report being nauseated by the stench of human waste wafting into Arthur Ashe Stadium from the facility’s overused, poorly ventilated restrooms.
Social media has become filled with fans reporting from the stands that the stench is overpowering and is ruining their experience at the tournament, the New York Post reported.
“When it smells like human waste, and the US Open has known about it for days yet continues to allow people to sit in Section 310,” social media user BaylorCarrots wrote on a TikTok post that has gotten more than 10 million views.
@baylorcarrots When it smells like human waste, and the US Open has known about it for days, yet continues to allow people to sit in Section 310. The Facilities Team and Guest Services told us they were already aware of the issue, but people were still being allowed to sit in the affected section. We paid to attend the US Open and should not have to sit for hours in an area that smells like human waste. How is this acceptable? #USOpen #USOpen2026 #Section310 #GuestServices #operations @Aryna Sabalenka ♬ Saxophones getting louder – Slowed – AntonioVivald
“The Facilities Team and Guest Services told us they were already aware of the issue, but people were still being allowed to sit in the affected section,” the social media user added. “We paid to attend the US Open and should not have to sit for hours in an area that smells like human waste. How is this acceptable?”
One commenter on the post noted that if you can smell it, you are breathing in the particulates.
“If you can smell it, particles are actually getting in your nose,” the commenter said, adding, “You’re not only being forced to smell that, you’re breathing in shit, and marinating in it.”
Others chimed in confirming that they, too, were sickened by the odor at the stadium.
Another TikTok user ripped the U.S. Open for the horrible atmosphere after paying $E300 for a ticket.
@oli.vielThis place is torn up. Section 300 (with the regular folk)♬ FREAKED OUT – Fat Papi & prodshushy
This is not the only olfactory problem suffered by spectators and players alike at the Open this year.
Another issue faced by fans and players alike was the heavy odor of marijuana floating into the stadium from Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which is situated right next to Arthur Ashe Stadium. The park is a very popular place for New York pot users.
The smell of pot is so strong that Belarusian professional tennis player Aryna Sabalenka stopped play at Friday’s match to ask judges to do something about the strong odor of marijuana she thought was coming from the stands.
British player Katie Boulter also noted that she calls one of the U.S. Open courts the “hash court” because of the strong smell.
“I have experienced it,” Boulter said, adding, “I’m not a huge fan of it. I know a lot of players have complained on specific courts. I’ve played on (Court 17) before, and I did smell it during my match. It’s something that I wouldn’t like to smell in the middle of my match.”
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