A swarm of bees caused quite a buzz at the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, disrupting play for nearly two hours. The unexpected visitors made their presence known as they buzzed around Alcaraz, prompting him to swat at them and leading to the match being suspended.
Despite the delay, Alcaraz managed to maintain his focus and went on to secure a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Zverev in less time than the interruption lasted. As the players left the court, dozens of bees attached themselves to an overhead spider camera, creating quite the spectacle for the crowd.
A brave man equipped with a vacuum cleaner came to the rescue, removing the bees from the camera amidst cheers from the audience. He even took the time to spray for bees around the court and pose for selfies with fans, becoming an unexpected hero of the day.
Amidst the chaos, ATP Tour supervisor encouraged Alcaraz to continue his warmup, despite concerns about the bees swarming again. The tournament’s owner, Larry Ellison, and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates were among the spectators watching the match from Ellison’s box, witnessing the unusual turn of events.
Despite the disruption caused by the bees, Alcaraz’s quick thinking and composure on the court ultimately led him to victory. The incident will surely be remembered as a unique moment in the history of the BNP Paribas Open.
