Tennis finals usually keep all eyes on the court, but this one suddenly made everyone look up instead. The final of the ATP Challenger level Montemar Challenger between Zdenek Kolar and Gianluca Cadenasso was going smoothly, with strong rallies and a crowd fully into the match… Then out of nowhere, something unexpected happened, and just like that, the game was suspended temporarily.

Kolar and Cadenasso were facing each other for the first time in their careers. The match reached 3-4 with Cadenasso up 15-0 when a drone suddenly appeared above the court. The umpire stopped the match right away, and the whole place went quiet for a moment. Eventually play resumed and it was Kolar who beat the Italian 4-6, 4-6, to win his sixth Challenger title.

It may seem like a drone flying about isn’t a serious issue that warrants a pause because it may only be filming, but in ATP and other tennis competitions, it is taken seriously. So what makes drones such a big threat?

Professional tennis events typically do not permit the use of drones, as tournaments have numerous safety regulations, which include the management of airspace. Any unapproved drone is considered a security risk, and in the past, drones that flew over restricted airspace have disrupted actual matches.

This is due to the possibility that drones could disrupt broadcasting equipment, roll onto the field, divert players, or create security problems, so suspension really is the protocol, even though it was only for a few minutes. However, this is not just an overreaction; history shows the reason why drones are taken so seriously in tennis.

The sky lessons that the ATP and all of tennis can’t ignore

During a match at the 2015 US Open between Flavia Pennetta and Monica Niculescu, a drone flew abruptly over Louis Armstrong Stadium. Everything was proceeding as normal when all of a sudden it crashed into a row of seats. Although no one was hurt, everyone in the audience was shaken by the impact, and that’s how officials learned a direct lesson about drone safety.

Pennetta subsequently described it as “a little bit scary” and acknowledged that, given everything going on in the world at the time, her initial reaction was, “Okay, it’s over.” But later, a 26-year-old teacher who was the pilot was charged with reckless endangerment for this, and the incident led to a complete security overhaul at the US Open. However, despite stringent measures, drones would continue to disrupt matches across the globe.

The same thing happened in February this year during the ATP Rio Open quarterfinal between Alexander Zverev and Francisco Comesana. A drone suddenly appeared over the court, stopping play and breaking Zverev’s focus. He even tried to hit it away with a shot, turning the moment into something no one expected.

Zverev later spoke about how much it threw him off. He said, “I think I played at a better level than in Buenos Aires, but it’s a shame to end the tournament this way.” He added, “Nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed my time here in Rio, and I hope to be back. This is one of the best ATP 500 tournaments I’ve ever been lucky enough to take part in. It’s just unfortunate to lose in this way, especially as I was in a favorable position to win this match.”

Moments like these show how even a small drone can have a huge impact on professional tennis matches.