Carlos Alcaraz, four-time Grand Slam champion and current title-holder, experienced a peculiar case of déjà vu during his recent match at Indian Wells. Last season, the Spaniard’s quarterfinal match against Alexander Zverev was interrupted by a swarm of bees that caused a delay of nearly 50 minutes. This season, Alcaraz was in for a surprise when he spotted a group of American supporters donned in bee costumes, recreating the buzz from the past.
The fans were not there to merely reminisce the bee invasion but to cheer for Alcaraz. Their humorous gesture came as a pleasant surprise to the reigning champion, who carried on with the game undeterred. He even managed to overpower Denis Shapovalov, advancing into the round of 16.
Reflecting on the unusual fan support at the post-match press conference, Alcaraz found the incident amusing. “It was a funny moment. I took a second out there,” he commented. The ‘bees’ in the crowd seemingly sparked his performance. He elaborates, “I mean, it helped me a lot because, during the whole first set, I was looking at them and laughing (smiling). And I always say that when I having fun on the court, I show good tennis.”
During the infamous bee swarm at the 2024 edition of Indian Wells, Lance Davis, a beekeeper and president of Palm Desert’s Killer Bee Live Removal, came to Alcaraz’s aid. Davis bravely vacuumed bees off the spidercam without any protective gear, allowing the match to resume.
Interestingly, Davis was also present during Alcaraz’s opening match against Quentin Halys last week. The champion was amused to see Davis at the coin toss. “I didn’t expect him to make the coin toss in the first match. I remember him from last year in the quarter-final with the bees, so it has been a funny thing,” Alcaraz recalled.
Alcaraz has a knack for bringing fun to the court, be it through his play or his interaction with the crowd. His infectious smile and charisma have won over many, including some notable figures in tennis. German ATP legend Boris Becker, who once coached Novak Djokovic, recently praised Alcaraz’s charismatic personality. He wrote, “Carlos smile is infectious…in the history of the game, I don’t remember many players with such charisma!”
Alcaraz aims to replicate his success from his previous Indian Wells appearances. If he manages to win the title this season, he will join the exclusive club of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, who won the BNP Paribas Open title in three successive seasons.
When asked about this, Alcaraz responded, “I’m here to take that pressure. I will try just to enjoy it. Because this tournament, every time that I come here, I enjoy so much practising, playing. Everything for me here is so easy. So all I’m thinking is to enjoy this tournament. I’m waiting the whole year just to come back here.”
Can Alcaraz lift his third consecutive Indian Wells trophy and join the ranks of Federer and Djokovic? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure – his joyous presence and playful interactions with the crowd have already made him a crowd favorite.