Mohamed Lahyani reflects on Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Indian Wells ‘bee invasion’ | ATP Tour
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Layani reflects on Alcaraz, Zverev and Indian Wells ‘bee invasion’
Due to strange circumstances, QF 2024 was immediately halted by Rayani
March 4, 2026
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The 2024 edition of Indian Wells was suspended due to a bee invasion, with referees Mohamed Lahyani, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev waiting.
Written by ATP Staff
Just one announcement brought the ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinals to an unexpected halt.
When Carlos Alcaraz faced Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, few could have predicted that the spotlight would soon shift from baseline brilliance to aerial mayhem.
However, as head judge Mohamed Lahyani recalls, the moment required intuition rather than a script. Bees began to swarm over Stadium 1, swarming around the spider cameras and quickly spreading to the playing area.
“I said ‘the match is suspended due to bee invasion’,” Rayani recalled in an interview with ATP Media. “What can I say. For me, the most important thing is [thing] It’s player safety. Like a group of people. Within seconds, thousands of people [of bees]. So I just want to focus on Carlos because Alexander is on the other side – he’s safe.
“I announced it as quickly as possible. And then you saw what happened… The spider cam came and we were outside at the entrance. We all started joking as they played on the TV: Players suspended due to bee invasion. Finally, I believe this crazy moment was fun for the fans when the beekeeper came. He was the one who stole the show – he was the hero!”
As players and officials waited in the hallway, local beekeeper Lance Davis was called in to deal with the swarm surrounding the Spidercam. Without wearing protective gear, Davis calmly vacuumed the bees, methodically clearing the swarm above Stadium 1 and allowing play to resume after the area was deemed safe.
The audience, initially unsure of what was going on, soon began to applaud as Davis worked, and the delay lightened once the situation was under control. He became an unexpected fan favorite when he headed to the field to make sure it was safe to resume.
The delay lasted nearly two hours, but the Indian Wells quarter-final is now remembered for the beekeeper’s intervention and the subsequent tennis match.
In a tournament known for its on-court quality, Layani’s quick decision-making and Davis’ heroic reactions combined to create one of the most famous non-tennis moments on the ATP Tour.
