Carlos Alcaraz, the rising tennis sensation, found himself in an unexpected situation during his quarter-final match against Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells on Thursday when a swarm of bees interrupted play. Despite the distraction and being stung on the forehead, Alcaraz managed to maintain his composure and secure a 6-3 6-1 victory, keeping his title defense aspirations alive.
The incident occurred while the world number two was serving in the third game of the match, as the bees descended upon him. Alcaraz attempted to fend them off with his racket but was eventually forced to seek cover after being stung.
Reflecting on the unexpected encounter, Alcaraz expressed his astonishment at the swarm, revealing that he was initially unaware of the magnitude of the situation. “I saw some bees around but I thought it was just a few of them, just not too many,” he explained to reporters. “But I saw the sky and there was thousands flying, stuck in my hair, going to me. It was crazy.”
Despite the disruption, play resumed after an hour and 48 minutes, during which a beekeeper was called to address the situation. Alcaraz recounted the challenges of regaining focus amidst the presence of the bees, stating, “I couldn’t stay focused on the ball, I was focused on the bees and tried to keep them away.”
Nevertheless, Alcaraz managed to overcome the distraction and concentrate on the match, ultimately surprising himself with his ability to maintain focus. “It was a really important game for me. I surprised myself that I stayed focused on the match, not on the bees,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, American tennis player Coco Gauff, who also competed later in the day, expressed relief at avoiding the bee invasion. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen happen at a tennis court,” Gauff remarked, expressing hope that such an incident would not occur again, at least not to her.
