The US Open became a no-fly zone on Tuesday evening during the match Grigor Dimitrov-Frances Tiafoe, won by the American.
During the second set of Tiafoe’s final victory, an unidentified bug made its way onto the fieldbriefly interrupting play as a ball boy attempted to capture him.
They first tried to crush the insect in mid-air before missing and having to chase it.
The insect hopped around the field for a few moments as the ball boy first tried to swat it.
He then tried to catch the insect again with his hand, missing a second time.
The insect jumped to another part of the field as the ball boy chased it once again and appeared to have finally picked up the insect, but it appeared to slip out of his hands.
ESPN broadcasters couldn’t help but laugh as a second ball boy joined in to try to help as the insect became even more elusive, ducking and dodging two pairs of hands before finally being crushed and captured.
The ball boy received a round of enthusiastic applause from the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd as he couldn’t help but smile as he resumed his position at the side of the pitch.
It’s unclear what the bug was, but one social media user had some fun with the incident.
“Lantern fly is the hottest celebrity of the US Open so far,” wrote one person on X.
Spotted lanternflies have become a common nuisance in the New York area in recent years and are known to wreak havoc on crops like apples, grapes and hardwood trees.
This pesky insect became a particularly significant nuisance in the Big Apple during the summer of 2022.
Several big names were in attendance for the game Tuesday night, including tennis legend Roger Federer, comedian Kevin Hart, Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu and NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell.
New York Post
