Venomous Snake Slithers Onto Court, Causes Dangerous Delay in Dominic Thiem's Match

Apparently, one of the occupational hazards of playing tennis is having a close encounter with a deadly serpent. 

Austrian tennis player and former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem found that out during his qualifying match victory over James McCabe at the Brisbane International on Saturday. Thiem was tested by McCabe but the Austrian’s most stressful moment may have had nothing to do with his opponent. 

Down a set and trying to battle back into the match, Thiem had to put his comeback attempt on hold, as a 50-centimeter eastern brown snake, one of the deadliest in the world, slithered onto the court. 

You cannot make this up: a 50cm eastern brown snake — considered the second most venomous snake in the world — interrupted the Thiem-McCabe qualifying battle in Brisbane 😳

(video via Lblklk on Reddit) pic.twitter.com/QI5izBr6HN

— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) December 30, 2023

An official at the Brisbane International can be seen in the video attempting to wrangle the reptile using what appears to be a snake tong. The eastern brown snake, which has very potent venom, initially resisted being corralled but was eventually safely removed from the court. 

In cold-blooded fashion, Thiem went on to save three match points en route to winning the second set in a tiebreak, completing the impressive comeback with a 6–4 win in the third set. 

When asked about the dangerous encounter after the match, Thiem said it was something he’ll “definitely never forget.”