{
  "id": 5759426,
  "title": "'I thought only Wimbledon was played on grass': Internet reacts to Sabalenka's weed smell complaint",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/i-thought-only-wimbledon-was-played-on-grass-internet-reacts-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T09:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/sport/tennis/us-open/2026-09-05-i-thought-only-wimbledon-was-played-on-grass-internet-reacts-to-sabalenkas-weed-smell-complaint/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Social media users rallied behind two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka after she complained about someone smoking weed in her round three match against Kamilla Rakhimova at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, causing her to briefly halt play. The World No.1 paused her 6-3, 6-4 victory to inform the chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore about the strong weed smell. Following her win, Sabalenka joked that she might get high due to the incident. Former Labour MP Kevin Brennan remarked on social media, \"I thought only Wimbledon was played on grass.\" Users questioned whether smoking was permitted near the courts and found humor in the situation. Sabalenka addressed the incident during her post-match press conference, stating that fans could smoke wherever they wanted, just not near the court. She also expressed her hope for better awareness regarding such behavior in the future.",
  "summary": "Aryna Sabalenka briefly paused her US Open third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova after complaining about a strong cannabis smell near Louis Armstrong Stadium. She later joked that she might “get high”.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}