Totally Bee-Zare: Bees Invade Indian Wells

The best tweets from one of the strangest interruptions of play in tennis history.

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday March 14, 2024

Indian Wells – Bee cool, it’s gonna be alright? What happens when bees invade a tennis tournament? We found out yesterday when play was stopped during the third game of Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Alexander Zverev – for NEARLY TWO HOURS!

Totally Bee-zare, right?

Eventually Alcaraz returned to the court and dominated the match en route to a 6-3, 6-1 victory, but without some trepidation.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little bit afraid of the bees,” he said after setting a semifinal with Jannik Sinner at the BNP Paribas Open.

Before we look ahead to that, let’s have a look back at one of the weirdest moments to ever occur at a tennis tournament.

1.These pictures tell the story.

Bee-have! 🐝 A swarm of bees attacks @carlosalcaraz and ‘spider cam’ during his match in @BNPPARIBASOPEN #indianwells @ShutterstockNow #tennisphotography #beeattack #beeinvasion pic.twitter.com/LkzZRAJco4

— Ella Ling (@EllaLing23) March 14, 2024

2. Our hero, Lance Davis, the beekeeper extraordinaire.

It’s time to BEE the main character… 😎

Welcome, legend, icon, Lance Davis 🫡🐝@BNPPARIBASOPEN | #IndianWells pic.twitter.com/sSyRC9Q0Qh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 15, 2024

3. Yeah, it took a while.

Legendary tennis match graphics, a thread 📊

2024 Indian Wells – ‘Time since bee invasion’ pic.twitter.com/rcZ97qmxSd

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 15, 2024

4. They loved that Spidercam!.

You cannot bee serious….. play suspended on the Stadium court at Indian Wells after a 🐝 invasion. That’s got to be a first. @BNPPARIBASOPEN @atptour pic.twitter.com/UJo5CK0Ln3

— judy murray (@JudyMurray) March 14, 2024

5. Yikes.

You cannot bee serious….. play suspended on the Stadium court at Indian Wells after a 🐝 invasion. That’s got to be a first. @BNPPARIBASOPEN @atptour pic.twitter.com/UJo5CK0Ln3

— judy murray (@JudyMurray) March 14, 2024

6. Carlos, spooked.

You cannot bee serious….. play suspended on the Stadium court at Indian Wells after a 🐝 invasion. That’s got to be a first. @BNPPARIBASOPEN @atptour pic.twitter.com/UJo5CK0Ln3

— judy murray (@JudyMurray) March 14, 2024

7.He he he..

You cannot bee serious….. play suspended on the Stadium court at Indian Wells after a 🐝 invasion. That’s got to be a first. @BNPPARIBASOPEN @atptour pic.twitter.com/UJo5CK0Ln3

— judy murray (@JudyMurray) March 14, 2024

8. Lance Davis sucks them out of the Spidercam like a boss, to take them to safety..

You cannot bee serious….. play suspended on the Stadium court at Indian Wells after a 🐝 invasion. That’s got to be a first. @BNPPARIBASOPEN @atptour pic.twitter.com/UJo5CK0Ln3

— judy murray (@JudyMurray) March 14, 2024

9. They would not bee quiet. .

Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani can add a new skill-set to his extensive CV:

Bee removal 🙌#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/7Y6sxWEPGO

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 14, 2024

10. The moment it happened, at 1-1, 15-0..

A pause for… bees?! 🐝

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev’s quarter-final match has been SUSPENDED due to a swarm of bees 🤯 pic.twitter.com/w8rALgPYU8

— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) March 14, 2024

11. Jannik Sinner is great, but Carlos does not have a tougher rival than these bees..