The beekeeper Lance Davis remembers how he helped Alcaraz with the swarm a year ago | ATP Tour

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The beekeeper Davis remembers how he helped Alcaraz with the swarm a year ago

The bees expert talks about the strange BNP Paribas Open 2024 incident

March 11, 2025

When Carlos Alcaraz is on track, there is always bustle. But last year at the BNP Paribas operate that bustle was literal, although it came from unexpected guests to the party.

The quarterfinal match between Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, perhaps, is remembered to a lesser extent by the tennis level and more by the strange anecdote that caused a delay of almost two hours. The show star? The beekeeper Lance Davis, who describes the experience as a “madness.”

First, Davis had to take care of the queen and the thousands of bees that invaded the Air Chamber (Spider Cam) on the central track of Indian Wells. But there was not everything left. Then he returned to complete his mission: reassure the current champion. Concerned about the presence of so many bees on the track, Davis had to convince Alcaraz that there were no problems to play again.

“They are probably not flying, they will surely be above where I have the caged queen,” Davis recalled about her words to Alcaraz. “I think you’re going to be safe. Now you can focus and win … And he did. ”

Twelve months later, Davis talks about his unexpected visit to Indian Wells Tennis Garden:

Alcaraz ended up closing the victory against Zverev 6-3, 6-1, before finishing defending the crown of champion in the first ATP Masters 1000 of the year.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I was a little scary of the bees,” Alcaraz acknowledged, after that quarter -final match. “Once the game resumed, I had to forget the bees and focus on the game.”

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Davis has forged a rebound in the California desert. The bees expert left Indian Wells Tennis Garden that afternoon as a hero, taking pictures with fans. Davis, who has more than 50 years of experience in the beekeeping industry, returned this year to meet the two -time Alcaraz champion, at the launch of La Moneda in the initial raffle of his first game.