Swarm of bees sparks whole panic at tennis event as gamers run for his or her lives
Tennis requires intense focus and a calm attitude – two things which can be completely shattered by a large gang of bees looking to sting you, which is exactly what happened at the Bengaluru Open
There was chaos at a tennis match in India(Image: X)
Tennis players at a tournament in India fled for their lives after an invasion of bees. Australian tennis ace Talia Gibson was playing against Sahaja Yamalapalli in the W100K event, the Bengaluru Open.
The match started as any other, with the first couple of points proceeding without incident. However, chaos ensued when both players abruptly dropped their rackets and bolted from the court, followed closely by the ball boys and umpire.
For those watching on TV or social media, it was a moment of alarm and bewilderment, as the cause of the sudden departure was unclear. The culprits behind the disruption turned out to be a large swarm of honey bees.
An official first spotted the unwelcome visitors and alerted the umpire about the impending problem. Understandably, the match was put on hold for approximately 30 minutes until the swarm had moved on.
Given that the match was held at the S. M. Krishna tennis stadium, bees were an occupational risk. The stadium is nestled within the 200-acre Cubbon Park and is encircled by over 8,000 trees.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Once the bees had dispersed, Gibson and Yamalapalli were able to finish their last-16 showdown. Perhaps wary of another bee invasion, Gibson swiftly defeated her opponent 6-0, 6-0, wrapping up the match in terrifyingly quick time.
It’s not the first occasion nature’s pollinators have wreaked chaos during a tennis encounter. Very little in the sport troubles World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who is a picture of cool.
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
Yet, the Spaniard was once left petrified when a swarm of bees interrupted his clash against Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells in 2024. Despite attempting to bat them away with his racquet, he ended up receiving a sting directly on the forehead.
Umpire Mohamed Lahyani was also forced to suspend the match in California as a result of the invasion after only three games. It was delayed for an hour and 40 minutes before Alcaraz went on to win 6-3, 6-1.
Reflecting on the incident at the time, he said: “For sure, the most unusual match I have ever played in my career. I thought it was just a few of them.
“But I saw the sky and there were thousands flying, stuck in my hair, going for me. I tried to stay away from them, but it was impossible. I’m a little bit afraid of them. I was running everywhere.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
