Venus Williams and Diana Shnaider's Match Interrupted by Cat on Court During Miami Open

Venus Williams and Diana Shnaider were joined by an unexpected guest on the court for their tennis match during Miami Open on Tuesday.

Just as Williams, 43, prepared to serve her second set in a game that resulted in a 6-3 6-3 defeat by Shnaider, a cat appeared on the court. It sprinted from one end to another along the back wall behind the tennis star, turning heads from the athletes and the audience alike.

“There is a cat crossing the court,” the umpire said into the mic.

As the crowd let out laughter, the black-and-white feline ran out of sight before the women resumed their game. 

"There's the cat. It's a cute cat, too," one of the commentators could be heard saying during the Tennis Channel broadcast of the match, adding later, "I have not seen that before."

Animal-induced delays have been a pattern in the game of tennis lately.

Just last week, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev's quarterfinal match in Indian Wells, California, on Thursday was paused due to a swarm of bees on the court. It happened during the first set, when the two were tied 1-1.

Similar to Williams, Alcaraz was setting up to serve when he was interrupted. 

"What's happening here?" the announcer said before the umpire declared that the match "could not continue," and everyone began walking off the court.

A video on X from the ATP Tour showed the umpire later stating that a “bee invasion” caused the match to be suspended.

Alcaraz's manager, Albert Molina, spoke with the Spanish podcast El Partidazo de COPE and said the player was doing "very well" after being stung by a bee on the side of his forehead during the incident.

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