Picture Perfect? How One Of The Best Tennis Photos Of All Time Was Taken At The Us Open

Of nan scores of photographers from crossed nan globe snapping thousands upon thousands of photos astatine this year’s US Open, 1 image has stood retired supra each nan others truthful acold astatine nan tennis expansive slam successful New York.

A flimsy imbalance from seventh-seed Jasmine Paolini and a relentlessly dependable manus allowed photographer Ray Giubilo to nail a one-in-a-million changeable astatine Flushing Meadows this week.

Tennis photographer Ray Giubilo. Photograph: Adelchi Fiorito

Paolini hailed it arsenic “maybe nan image of nan year”, but nan whimsical image taken during nan Italian player’s first-round brushwood pinch Australia’s Destanee Aiava could laic declare to an moreover grander title than that.

Tennis photography isn’t known for its consciousness of humour. The images are often clean, crisp and aggravated but seldom are they hilarious. A nanosecond later aliases earlier would person rendered a wholly different framework and missed nan axenic comedic worth down Giubilo’s image.

Half terrifying and half sublime, nan image was captured by complete fluke. Giubilo told nan Guardian he had “been waiting for a agelong clip for thing for illustration this”, and that he knew what a awesome image he had taken nan infinitesimal he saw it connected nan backmost of his Nikon Z9.

The only measurement Giubilo was capable to statement up nan changeable truthful perfectly was owed to Paolini being disconnected equilibrium erstwhile she vanished her forehand stroke. “She conscionable moved nan racket backmost successful a measurement that she usually doesn’t do,” he said. When he attempted to seizure nan aforesaid image nan pursuing night, framework aft framework it could not beryllium replicated.

Paolini was truthful enamoured of nan shot, she singled retired Giubilo nan adjacent clip she was connected tribunal for a second-round lucifer to definitive her admiration.

Tennis photographer Ray Giubilo says he had ‘been waiting for a agelong clip for thing for illustration this’, aft taking an unthinkable photograph of Jasmine Paolini. Photograph: Sarah Yenesel/EPA

“Tonight aft nan lucifer erstwhile she won, I was sitting underneath her container and she ran towards nan box, smiling arsenic she ever does, and I thought she was going to spell and hug her coach. But she came to maine alternatively and she gave maine 5 and said, ‘Great photo.’”

Before becoming a master photographer Giubilo was an supplier for a tennis clothing institution successful Australia. His passion was ever photography, and pinch nan thief of group specified arsenic John Newcombe and John Alexander he moved into photographing section matches. Thirty-seven years later he spends 7 months a twelvemonth travelling nan tennis circuit, shooting up to 20 matches a time complete gruelling 14-hour shifts.

Patience, imaginative flare and impeccable method expertise is what defines astonishing sports photographers; sitting still for hours while watching lucifer aft match, each while remaining laser focused connected each hit. “You person to beryllium patient, you person to beryllium fast, you person to beryllium fit,” he said.