Carlos Alcaraz Shares Bee-autiful Moment With Palm Desert Bee Keeper

PALM DESERT, CA — A Palm Desert resident bee removal owner did the honorary coin-flip for Saturday's match between Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz and Quentin Halys at the BNP Paribas Open.

One year ago, the Indian Wells tennis tournament match between Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev was halted as a swarm of bees took over Stadium One.

Lance Davis, owner of Killer Bee Live Removal, swooped in and saved the day, sans gloves or a beekeeper's suit, vacuuming bees from the scene and allowing gameplay to continue after 45. At the time, Alcaraz referred to Davis as a "hero," with an X, formerly Twitter statement, "Not all heroes wear capes!"

At that time, Davis explained to ATPTour.com that this wasn't the first swarm he'd removed from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. "My truck was actually being worked on at Palms To Pines Automotives in Palm Desert. I was in Palm Springs on an estimate with my personal truck," Davis said. "I had to go drive over to Palms To Pines Automotives and get my truck. They were just starting to work and I went, 'No, put it back together. I've got to go. I've got an emergency call!'"

"I had my equipment set up and I vacuumed up the bees into a live-catch cage," Davis said. "Then I can take them out ... and release them into one of my hives that I have." It was a small swarm, probably about 3,500 bees, Davis said. Play resumed after the cleanup. Alcaraz won the match handily, 6-3 6-1.

That match would be forever memorable, Alcaraz said at the time, calling it "the most unusual match I've ever played in my career."

Watch the 2024 bee invasion below:

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