In a startling scene at the SM Krishna Stadium, a professional tennis match turned into a frantic escape as a massive swarm of bees invaded the court. The incident occurred during the W100K Bengaluru event, specifically during a first-set clash between top seed Talia Gibson and India’s Sahaja Yamalapalli.
Panic on Court
The alarm was first raised by a vigilant ball boy who spotted the approaching swarm. Within moments, a dense cloud of bees descended, forcing players, ball boys, and the chair umpire to abandon their posts.
Viral footage of the event shows both Gibson and Yamalapalli dropping their rackets in haste and sprinting toward the safety of the locker rooms. The match was suspended for approximately 30 minutes while security and ground staff worked to ensure the environment was safe for play to resume.
WATCH VIDEO
Bee-Attack in middle of the game, Players were asked to run for their lives mid match! Scary scene as the match got suspended, Bengaluru
pic.twitter.com/3VZTfxgdBH— Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) February 19, 2026
Context and Comparison
The stadium’s location inside the lush Cubbon Park – home to over 8,000 trees – is believed to be a contributing factor. The incident mirrored the famous “Bee Invasion” involving Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells in 2024, and comes just a day after a tragic report of a cricket umpire passing away due to a bee attack in Unnao.
Match Outcome
The unexpected disruption did little to break the momentum of Talia Gibson. Upon returning to the court, the top seed delivered a flawless performance, defeating Yamalapalli 6-0, 6-0 to secure her spot in the quarterfinals.
While most Indian participants exited early, wildcard entry Vaishnavi Adkar remains the local hope. After upsetting eighth-seeded Mai Hontama, Adkar is scheduled to face Australia’s Taylah Preston in the quarterfinals on Friday.
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