The world's second most venomous snake, capable of delivering venom that proves fatal within 30 minutes, came onto the court during the Brisbane International tennis tournament on Saturday.
Dominic Thiem, a former US Open champion, found himself a set down against 20-year-old Australian James McCabe in a first-round qualifying match when spectators near the court spotted the dangerous snake.
Security personnel swiftly responded, but the umpire had to halt play as the snake made its way onto the court.
Subsequently identified as a 50cm Eastern Brown Snake, one of Australia's most deadly reptiles, it was safely removed, allowing play to resume. The venom of the Eastern Brown Snake consists of a potent combination of toxins.
Here's the video of security officials trying to catch the snake:
Its primary venom is a neurotoxin, causing paralysis of the nerves in the heart, lungs, and diaphragm, ultimately leading to suffocation. If left untreated, victims can succumb to cardiac arrest within 30 minutes. After the match, Thiem said: "I really love animals, especially exotic ones.
"But they said it was a really poisonous snake and it was close to the ball kids, so it was a really dangerous situation. It's something that has never happened to me and is something I'll definitely never forget."
The snake was caught by local expert Lucas Perrett who told 9News Queensland, Perrett: "My wife is a massive tennis fan, we actually have tickets for next Saturday and Sunday. And when I texted her going 'I'm going to pick up a snake from the Brisbane International' she went ‘no way, get me an autograph'."
Austrian Thiem, who turned 30 earlier this year and is currently ranked No.98 in the world after several years spent dealing with a persistent wrist injury, is now set to face Italian Giulio Zeppieri in the final qualifying round on Sunday.
Thiem made it all the way to the final of the Australian Open in 2020, managing to push champion Novak Djokovic to five sets. A year later, Thiem won the US Open to mark his first Grand Slam triumph by defeating German opponent Alexander Zverev.