Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev were forced to run for cover during their Indian Wells quarterfinal on Thursday after a swarm of bees invaded the court.
In remarkable scenes more reminiscent of a horror movie, thousands of bees descended on the main stadium in California, with play immediately suspended.
An incredible photo shows the insects all over the ‘spider cam’ that glides across the court, with officials forced to raise the camera high above the stadium in a bid to take the bees with it.
TV coverage carried a message on the screen detailing that play had been suspended due to a ‘bee invasion’.
In one clip, aired on beIN Sports, Alcaraz can be seen running off court and attempting to swat the bees away from his head as they took over the match – which was just nine minutes old.
A swarm of bees covers the TV providers’ ‘spider cam’ during Carlos Alcaraz’s quarterfinal
Alcaraz was forced to sprint for cover as the insects took over the stadium in California
The TV feed cut to the spider cam, with bees crawling all over it as it rose above the stadium
The quarterfinal match was one of the most highly-anticipated of the tournament so far, with world No. 2 Alcaraz taking on world No. 6 Zverev for a place in the last four.
Fans quickly took to social media to react to the bizarre scenes, with Judy Murray – mother of British tennis legend Andy – joking: ‘You cannot bee serious.’
She added: ‘Play suspended on the Stadium Court at Indian Wells after a bee invasion. That’s got to be a first!’
The insects appeared to converge on the spider cam and one fan noted: ‘They seem to be claiming it as their new hive.’
As of 7:30pm EST, play had still not resumed after more than an hour as officials continued to deal with the unexpected problem.
The spider cam was lifted out of the stadium but an hour later, the problem still wasn’t solved
TV coverage referred to the stoppage as being due to a ‘bee invasion’ – surely a first for tennis
Back in the safety of the TV room, the players watched the incredible scenes unfold on court
Officials rushed out onto the court to work out how to deal with the unwanted bee invasion
Incredibly, one official was tasked with taking a vacuum up to the spider cam, where he could be seen sucking up the bees into his device.
The players remained off-court while the drama unfolded, and fans waited patiently in their seats for more information.
Indian Wells is one of the jewels in the tennis calendar, taking place in the middle of the desert outside California.
The bizarre bee incident only affected the main stadium, with American superstar Coco Gauff able to continue with her own quarterfinal match on the court next door.