{
  "id": 5645285,
  "title": "Sabalenka interrupts US Open match over cannabis smell",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/sabalenka-interrupts-us-open-match-over-cannabis-smell-5645285",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-04T21:07:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News",
    "slug": "abc-news",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-05/us-open-tennis-aryna-sabalenka-cannabis-smell-new-york/107119676"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "World number one Aryna Sabalenka momentarily halted her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova due to a strong smell of cannabis wafting onto the court. The top seed, who went on to secure a 6-3, 6-4 victory, alerted the umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore during her second service game, expressing her displeasure with the odor. Sabalenka emphasized the distraction the smell posed, stating, \"It's a bit tricky to handle that smell while you're trying to compete at your best.\" Although cannabis use is legal in New York for adults over 21, the odor is still considered disruptive at Flushing Meadows, a familiar issue for players.",
  "summary": "Aryna Sabalenka encounters a distracting odour during her US Open third-round victory over Kamilla Rakhimova in New York.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Sabalenka interrupts US Open match over smell of cannabis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/sabalenka-interrupts-us-open-match-over-smell-of-cannabis",
        "published": "2026-09-04T16:14:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Sabalenka interrupts US Open match over cannabis smell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/sabalenka-interrupts-us-open-match-over-cannabis-smell",
        "published": "2026-09-04T16:40:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Sabalenka gets through tough test at the US Open, with Williams sisters in doubles action at night",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/sabalenka-gets-through-tough-test-at-the-us-open-with-williams",
        "published": "2026-09-04T17:15:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Sabalenka, Pegula get through tough tests at US Open, with Williams sisters playing doubles at night",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/sabalenka-pegula-get-through-tough-tests-at-us-open-with-williams",
        "published": "2026-09-04T20:23:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Sabalenka interrupts US Open match against Rakhimova over cannabis smell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/sabalenka-interrupts-us-open-match-against-rakhimova-over-cannabis",
        "published": "2026-09-04T21:05:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Sabalenka interrupts US Open match over cannabis smell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/sabalenka-interrupts-us-open-match-over-cannabis-smell-5646710",
        "published": "2026-09-04T21:07:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Sabalenka interrupts US Open match over cannabis smell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/sabalenka-interrupts-us-open-match-over-cannabis-smell-5657240",
        "published": "2026-09-04T22:37:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}