Indian Wells is one of the most iconic stops in tennis, but the tournament suffered an unwanted disruption from bees in 2024.
Much to their bemusement, ATP stars Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev suffered a delay of almost two hours due to the insects taking over the court.
Stadium 1 at Tennis Paradise in California played host to the swarm of bees, with chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani now looking back on the bizarre incident.
When bees delayed Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells
As quoted by the ATP website, Lahyani recalled: “I said ‘Play suspended due to bee invasion’. I could have said anything.
“For me, the most important [thing] was the safety of the players. It was like a swarm.
“In a few seconds, there were thousands and thousands [of bees].
“So I just wanted to pay attention to Carlos, because Alexander was on the other side – he was safe.
“I made the announcement as quickly as possible.
“Then you saw what happened… the spider cam came and we were outside in the entrance.
“We all started joking, because they put on the TV: Play suspended due to bee invasion.
“In the end, I believe this crazy moment became fun for the fans when the beekeeper came.
“He was the one who stole the show – he was a hero!”
Carlos Alcaraz overcomes bee swarm en route to 2024 Indian Wells title
The “hero” in question was local beekeeper Lance Davis, who was required to handle the swarm that had gathered around the spider cam.
Much to the relief of everyone at the stadium, he did exactly that, with Alcaraz and Zverev returning to play their highly anticipated quarterfinal.
After the unwanted distraction, it was the Spaniard who emerged victorious, defeating his German rival 6-3, 6-1.
Alcaraz went on to lift the trophy that year, beating Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals and final respectively.
He successfully defended his title from 2023, when he also beat Medvedev in the final, but couldn’t clinch a third successive crown in 2025, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Jack Draper.
Indian Wells organizers will be hopeful that bees are not an issue at this year’s tournament, which is now underway.
Top seed and world number one Alcaraz is chasing a third Indian Wells title this year, with Zverev also in the star-studded field.
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