Inventory: What are the most bizarre phenomena that have interrupted matches in history? Which is the most unbelievable?

Tennis matches are never smooth sailing; you never know what might happen to change the course of events—an error, a technical malfunction, or a sudden weather change. For instance, at this year's Cincinnati Open on August 12, a generator in the venue caught fire, causing a power shortage that severely affected the match, leading to multiple interruptions during the contest between Sinner and Diallo. But that's not all; there are many unexpected situations that can abruptly halt a match, which might surprise you!

1. A baby interrupted Emma Raducanu's match

On Monday, Raducanu faced reigning champion and world number one Sabalenka, and it seemed that the British player might actually pull off an upset. She lost the first set but fought back in the second to level the match, playing fearlessly and passionately. The tension escalated in the deciding set. When it got to 3-4 in the service game, the atmosphere was tense.

Just as they reached a crucial breakpoint, a baby's cry from the stands caused her to pause. She somewhat helplessly told the chair umpire, "It's been almost 10 minutes." The umpire replied, "That's a child. Do you want me to have the child removed?" Raducanu simply shrugged. When some fans shouted "yes," she laughed and pointed at them. However, the umpire stated, "I can contact someone, but we need to continue the match now." So, the match resumed.

This wasn't the first time this season she was interrupted by an unexpected event! During the Australian Open, she was disrupted when a seagull suddenly flew by her while she was serving in the first set. Last month at Wimbledon, a champagne cork flew onto the court. Clearly, it's not just babies and birds that can interrupt a match.

2. A terrifying natural phenomenon during the 2021 Acapulco Open

In the semifinals of the Mexican Open, while Koppfer and Zverev were in a heated battle, the ground beneath them began to shake—an earthquake struck the city. The two German players paused for a moment, looking around, but quickly decided to continue playing on the shaking court. The camera shook, and the commentator hurriedly reassured viewers, "Wow, if you were wondering why the picture is shaking, it's not a camera malfunction; we just experienced a small earthquake."

Both players and spectators were momentarily stunned, trying to steady themselves. The audience didn't want the tense atmosphere to prevail and instead cheered for the players. At that time, Koppfer had lost the first set 4-6, but led 40-14 in the first game of the second set. The next shot he hit in the shaking environment was swallowed by this surreal moment. In just a few seconds, tennis and an earthquake were "competing" together.

The 5.7 magnitude earthquake ultimately forced the match to stop for real, with Zverev later stating, "I had no idea what was happening at that moment." He added, "Dominic didn't know either. We only heard the audience's reactions. I guess the lights started shaking, and the audience felt it more intensely than we did. After all, we were running and had to finish that point during the earthquake." Only in Acapulco could a semifinal showcase both "baseline hitting" and "ground tremors."

3. An ear-piercing alarm caused temporary chaos on the court

In February 2020, Gombos was trying to catch up in a match against Sinner when suddenly a background sound that should never occur in a tennis match—a car alarm—started ringing continuously. He tried to laugh it off, bouncing the tennis ball at the center of the court to kill time, but as time passed, no one came to turn off the alarm. Sinner was hardly affected, saving all six break points and hitting nine aces to win the Marseille Open in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (5).

During the wait for silence, the two players decided to play a little rally with a ball boy and a ball girl, turning the delay into a fun performance. Once the alarm stopped, Sinner remained as focused as ever. This victory advanced him to the second round against Medvedev, and he joked, "There was nothing to lose." Whether it was the car alarm or the match pause, nothing could disrupt the rhythm of this young Italian player.

4. The Miami Open welcomed an unexpected "reptilian spectator"

At the 2017 Miami Open, during the match between Haas and Vesely, a "surprise guest"—a large iguana—suddenly invaded the court. The chair umpire initially intended to continue the match while it was crouching at the sidelines, but Vesely was unwilling. Haas displayed his "animal lover" side, walking over to take a selfie with it, adding a bit of lightheartedness to the chaotic scene.

This iguana was not cooperative, evading capture twice and sprinting across the court, causing the audience to gasp in surprise. Eventually, it was caught and taken away, allowing the match to resume, and this incident became one of the most peculiar and memorable moments in tennis history.

If you think this is already crazy, you should also mention last year's "bee incident" at Indian Wells. During the quarterfinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Zverev, bees invaded Court One, forcing a 45-minute pause in the match. Beekeeper Lance Davis came out and vacuumed the bees off the camera, all without wearing protective gear!

5. Players clashing on the court while the audience also "battled"

Tennis audiences are usually polite, but the 2010 US Open witnessed an unexpected scene. During the match between Djokovic and Petzschner, a fierce conflict erupted in the stands, ultimately leading to three spectators being banned from attending matches for three years (until 2013).

The incident began when a woman questioned a man's behavior and language, escalating into a verbal spat—the woman slapped the man directly. Her older father stepped in to pull her away, leading to a scuffle between him and the man, with both tumbling down two rows of seats, shocking those around them.

This is a scene that tennis fans find hard to forget and is extremely unusual. Let's hope there won't be any such incidents this year, whether involving wild animals, noisy spectators, out-of-control vehicles, or other bizarre occurrences. The US Open kicks off on August 24, and it promises to be lively—hopefully, all in a positive way!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)