Curious Squirrel Invades U.S. Open Match, Frolics Merrily About the Court

Need something to restore your faith in the world? Something to remind you that Earth can be a beautiful place?

There are plenty of places where one might look for inspiration—churches, an orphan’s smile, bacon packaging plants. 

One of the last venues you’d expect a whimsical moment of serendipity is in the first round of the U.S. Open. As luck would have it, however, one such moment did occur during Monday’s matchup between Sabine Lisicki and Vera Dushevina.

Lisicki was up one set and looking to close the door on Dushevina when a furry intruder scuttled onto the court and kicked things up a notch. 

Video of the critter was spotted by A. Isaac of Guyism (h/t Next Impulse Sports). The squirrel arrived on the scene with pinpoint timing—right in the middle of Dushevina’s backswing.

Its grand entrance was announced by the chair umpire, who proclaimed the squirrel’s arrival for all to hear.

“Quiet, please...” the umpire said. “We have a squirrel.”

A series of events quickly unfolded after this announcement. The first involved a ball boy sprinting across the court as if rushing to get the squirrel’s autograph

Unwilling to risk capture and waste such a unique opportunity for exposure, the squirrel evaded the ball boy and began bounding around the court.

It eyeballed an old line judge, checked out the net and eventually vanished into a crevice at the far end of the arena. All the while, the players watched on in passive wonder.

No one wanted to capture this creature, to end its romp. Everyone stood by and watched, caught up in a simple joy they typically would take for granted. 

Honestly, it was just a squirrel running on a tennis court. But with the right state of mind, the smallest things become earth-shatteringly significant.

That being said, godspeed, little squirrel. We’ll never forget you.

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