Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz eventually won the match with a score of 6-3, 6-1, despite being stung on the forehead.
Alcaraz later described the experience as the most unusual match of his career due to the challenge of dealing with thousands of bees, which also showed a particular attraction to the spidercam above the court.
The tournament’s beekeeper was brought in and used a vacuum to safely remove the bees from the camera and later release them. Despite the initial removal, a few bees continued to bother Alcaraz upon resuming the match, prompting the beekeeper’s return to spray the scoreboard, receiving cheers and engaging with the crowd.
The incident occurred during a period known for bee activity due to blooming flowers and their attraction to low-frequency sound waves.
Alcaraz is now set to face Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open champion who is currently on a 19-match winning streak, in the semi-finals. Sinner’s impressive run includes a Grand Slam title in Australia and a win in Rotterdam, marking a perfect start to the season.
Other notable performances at the tournament to date include Tommy Paul’s victory over Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev’s win against Holger Rune, setting up their respective semi-final matchups.
