Not Just Dominic Thiem but Naomi Osaka, Andre Agassi, and Stefanos Tsitaipas Experienced Wild Intrusions in Australia

As the world is preparing to welcome a new year, the tennis community is syncing along to setting the stage for the Australian Open. While the tournament has built its value out of several smaller elements, interruptions have also been a part of it. Imagine the possible outcomes that could cause interruptions in a match.

While a majority of the audience would think of events like unpleasant weather or medical emergencies, sometimes, animals find their way to the court, resulting in a witty delay. As Brisbane International started up with its first round of qualifiers, Dominic Thiem‘s face-off against James Mccabe took a short break as a snake unexpectedly found a way to the court. Digging deeper into history to remember similar events, here are the top 5 moments when Australian Open matches welcomed unexpected guests.

Naomi Osaka’s runaway from a bug

During the intense quarter-finals of the 2019 Australian Open, tennis star Naomi Osaka faced an unexpected opponent that made her flee away from the court. While the Japanese tennis star held her ground comfortably with a 5-0 lead against Elina Svitolina, her sudden sprint confused the spectators.

Digging deeper into the reason behind her sudden flee, the arena took a great laugh as they found out that it was triggered by none other than a tiny bug buzzing around her. This witty interruption marked a memorable moment as the fans witnessed fearless Osaka get started by a little insect.

Jannik Sinner’s befriends a butterfly

During the Australian Open 2022, young Italian Jannik Sinner found himself in an unexpected meetup with a butterfly during an on-court interview. As the reporter framed a question for Sinner, the charming creature attracted the attention of everyone and found a comfortable seat on his hat.

Maintaining his cool, Sinner gave a warm smile over the incident as he assured everyone saying, “It’s all right, we’ll leave him there.” Marking another incident during a match, another butterfly found its way to the young Italian. After marking the repetitive meet-ups with this cute friend, commentator Jim Courier playfully suggested that it could be a positive sign from the universe.

Naomi Osaka displaced by a moth

As Naomi Osaka stood against Magda Linette in an exciting face-off in 2019, she had another frightening encounter with an unexpected guest. While the Japanese star already maintained a lead, she prepared for a serve and suddenly spotted a moth at her spot on the court. Startled just by seeing the little fan, Osaka silently slid back, giving fans a great laugh.

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Soon after a ball boy spotted the problem, he rushed to the rescue, making attempts to catch the moth. As Osaka stood in the corner of the court, waiting for the moth chase to end, the ball boy struggled for a while to remove the unexpected guest. The moment placed Osaka at a corner spot, marking another example of her fearful escape from insects.

Andre Agassi’s damage control against the birds

Running flashbacks of the historical 2000 Australian Open, tennis legend Andre Agassi faced an unexpected interruption when a group of birds decided to fly over the court. As Agassi spotted the entry of these unexpected guests, he playfully covered his head as a witty gesture of saving himself from potential aerial damage.

As the intruders were done with their scouting, everyone assumed that no damage was done. However, Agassi noticed marks on the court as he took his position back. As a lighthearted gesture, he took the responsibility into his own hands by borrowing the towel that the ball boy rushed with. While the tennis legend cleaned the court by himself, fans applauded for the gesture.

Stefanos Tsitsipas rescues ball girl from an insect

During the 2022 Australian Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas was regarded as a hero not just for his tennis skills, but also for a rescue mission. As the tennis star stood in a face-off against Taylor Fritz, he captivated the attention of the spectators by coming to back a ball girl as she found herself in a frightening situation from removing an insect.

Laying an example of his kindness, Tsitsipas diverted his attention from the game to take charge and remove the insect from the court. What made the rescue even more adorable was the Greek’s gentle touch as he ensured that no further damage was to be caused while deporting the little one from the court.

As these incidents marked memorable moments where players engaged in playful acts with unexpected guests at the Australian Open courts, they also showcased the lighthearted sides of players. While another season of the tournament is about to begin, it still remains to be seen if fans will get to experience any more events of similar sorts.

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