Black holes are not perfectly spherical in shape. They can be distorted or deformed due to various factors such as their rotation and interactions with their surroundings. Imagine a spinning black hole like a swirling vortex in water, it tends to bulge at its equator creating an oblate spheroid shape.

The strong gravitational field of a black hole causes a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, which can distort the light coming from objects behind it. By observing these distortions astronomers can infer the shape and properties of the black hole. Some studies suggest that black holes might have slight deviations from perfect sphericity due to the effects of their rotation or nearby matter.

Additionally, in certain astrophysical scenarios, black holes can merge with other black holes, resulting in the formation of a distorted or irregularly shaped black hole. These events are also expected to emit gravitational waves, which carry information about the shape of the black holes involved.

Overall, while the Schwarzschild solution of general relativity describes black holes as spherical in a vacuum, the realities of the cosmos and the presence of various external influences can lead to departures from perfect sphericity in the shapes of black holes.