A striking shadow image of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz perfectly striking the ball has won the top honour at the World Sports Photography Awards 2026.
Edgar Su, Tennis Winner and Overall Winner | World Sports Photography Awards 2026
The winning photograph, Carlos’ Shadow Hit a Ball, was captured by Reuters photographer Edgar Su during Alcaraz’s fourth-round match against Britain’s Jack Draper at the 2025 Australian Open in Melbourne.
The overall winner headlines a collection of 24 category-winning images spanning more than 50 sports, including American Football, Athletics, Baseball, Equestrian, Golf, Racquet Sports, Winter Sports and Football.
The 2026 awards represent the most successful edition in the competition’s history, with a record 23,130 images submitted by 4,120 photographers from 123 countries.
