The 31 most stunning photos across women's sports from the last month Tennis, European Championships, and more

From the photographer, Michael Steele:

"This image shows Nigeria's Chioma Onyekwere in action during the Women's Discus final. For the cage throwing events, I always set up a camera on a mini tripod which is then triggered by remote control and pre-focused on the throwing circle. I also photograph the throwers on a longer lens showing them release the discus, giving me an alternative angle, but generally the low-down, wider angle within the cage, makes a more dramatic picture.

"I was very fortunate with this frame as Onyekwere was the eventual winner but of course the dramatic sunset made the image stand out — plus, her flying hair and energetic throwing style. The difficult part was the exposure: As the skies grew darker, I had to reach the camera via a very small gap in the cages net, dial in the exposure and increase in so while not moving the camera. All a bit tricky, but it worked out fine!"

From the photographer, Ryan Pierse:

"The Women's Weightlifting competition was one of my highlights of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Competitors showed incredible, sheer strength and poise in the 87kg+ division final, which was won by local hero Emily Campbell of Team England, sending the crowd into raptures.

"In this image of Helen Anastasia Seipua of Team Fiji, I tried to illustrate the intense movement of the clean-and-jerk by shooting with a very slow shutter speed and then dragging the shutter slightly. This technique works best when shot against a clean, dark background."

From the photographer, Michael Steele:

"This image is all about Eilish McColgan's reaction to winning gold in the 10,000m final. McColgan has lost out so many times in big races, and it looked like the same was going to happen in Birmingham when she lost her lead going into the last lap.

"Without the loud support of the local crowd, I don't think she would have won the race, but she grew with every stride, and as the noise got louder she won quite easily in the final straight. Her reaction was as much for missed chances and medals in the past and the relief of finally breaking that barrier and how all the hard days of training paid off."

From the photographer, Carmen Mandato:

"Both Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka spoke during their pressers about how much it meant to them to see Serena and Venus Williams play when they were young, and that they hoped young women enjoyed seeing them take the stage in this match.

"Osaka serving in the haze of the setting sun highlights the beauty of her hair, with a bit of movement in her clothing, and a strain on her face, shows the torque she's swinging with. Both athletes are dynamic and commanding on the court, and with tennis having such busy backgrounds, you have to find a way to isolate them in the frame stripping all distractions."

From the photographer, Quinn Rooney:

"This image of Nikita Hains was taken with an underwater camera at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. I was focusing on the moment the divers spun out of the dive, after impacting the water from the 10m diving platform. I really like the heart-like shape of the splash which almost look like wings as Nikita spreads out her limbs and swims to the surface."

From the photographer, Carmen Mandato:

"Gauff's overexposed photo strips out the distraction of the court and draws you into her power, aesthetic, and movement. Both athletes are dynamic and commanding on the court, and with tennis having such busy backgrounds, you have to find a way to isolate them in the frame stripping all distractions."

From the photographer, Clive Brunskill:

"This image of Suzanna Shahbazian was taken during the Individual All-Around final at the Commonwealth Games. I was watching the athletes as they jumped with the ribbons and realized I needed to move slightly further away and use a shorter 300mm lens rather than the 400mm I was using.

"What was obvious to me was that after the first few athletes, I was cutting off the ribbons and knew the images were not as impactful if the ribbons were out of frame. Also, as the competition went on, the best athletes were jumping higher holding poses for longer.

"Shahbazian came on the floor for Canada, and she did a series of three big leaps; the one in the photo is her last leap. I managed to frame it perfectly – I just love the balance of the frame with the athlete high to the left and ribbons in a perfect shape."

From the photographer, Patrick Smith:

"Documenting tennis can be very challenging to find unique angles. My approach with nearly all sports is to make images that are safe and can be used in unlimited ways by our clients. An example would be a clean head-to-toe action image.

"Once I believe we have a good representation of not only our commercial needs, but our editorial coverage too, I'll begin to look for more graphic, artistic imagery that can draw in our viewers. In other words, show them how we can separate ourselves as photographers by creating, finding an image rather than documenting what's right in front of us.

"In this case, I found a very unique angle as Xiyu Wang of China served a shot to Liudmila Samsonova in the women's semifinal of the Citi Open. What made this picture work was the time of day and her serving left-handed. While she would lose to the eventual champion of the tournament, it's these types of images of women in sports that resonate with our audiences as powerful content."

From the photographer, Steph Chambers:

"Besides the more predictable images of the entire farewell game was a surprise kiss from Bird's fiancée Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe plays on the Seattle-based NWSL team OL Reign and had a home game at 3 p.m. on the same day as Bird's last regular season home game at noon.

"Usually, the Seattle Storm exit their locker room to an empty green, reflective light tunnel before taking the court. To Bird's surprise, however, her friends and family lined the tunnel to wish her well. Rapinoe waited at the end, and the two shared a kiss before their respective game times."

From the photographer, David Ramos:

"A colleague once told me, 'You make your own luck.' This image is a clear example of that. I was covering the last day of Athletics at the Commonwealth Games. At the start of each session there was a burst of fireworks over the roof of the main grandstand. That evening, the session began with the Women's Long Jump final.

"Before the competition, we had set up the remote cameras along the long jump area to capture action. After the installation there was no access to that area until after the event was done, so I went to my work area near the finish line, which was on the straight opposite the long jump pit to set up the rest of the equipment.

"While I was waiting for the competition to start, I heard the speaker '3, 2, 1...' let's make some noise!' announcing the fireworks display. At that moment I thought, I have a remote camera pointed at the main grandstand in the long jump pit, why not shoot it with my transmitter during the fireworks?

"So, I shot a burst while watching the colored smoke come out of the roof of the grandstand and forgot about it. After the competition, I finally was able to pick up the remote camera and remembered that I had shot some images during the fireworks.

"I expected to find an empty stadium and the fireworks exploding over the stadium, but as a nice surprise, there were three images showing an athlete warming up and jumping right at the moment of the fireworks. I couldn't believe it!"

From the photographer, Steph Chambers:

"When Sue Bird announced her retirement this season, each passing game seemed bittersweet for the legend. But none had been as impactful as her final regular season home game at Climate Pledge Arena. It was a sellout, notching a team and venue record of 18,100 fans. Fans cheered emphatically, video tributes drew tears and homemade signs adorned each row.

"If this were to be Sue's last home game, I knew I wanted to capture a photo that shows her appreciation of the fans on her way off the court. After the game she gave a center court speech, threw her shoes to the crowd and waved goodbye to her adoring fans not knowing what would happen in the playoffs. I followed her closely as she made her way off the court. It was a very quick moment, as I photographed it looking up into the beaming lights shining on her."

From the photographer, Vaughn Ridley:

"Serena Williams made her retirement announcement during the National Bank Open tennis tournament this August in Toronto, Canada. I knew this would be the last time Serena would walk off a tennis court in Canada. When I started my career, one of the things I was taught was when there is a moment unfolding in front of you that could potentially be extra special or iconic, you should 'let it breathe.' This was going to be one of those very special moments.

"Therefore, I wanted to capture more than just a tight picture of Serena waving to the crowd. I positioned myself to a spot where I knew she would walk towards as she left the court for the last time and I used my 70-200 to capture her full length, while keeping the crowd she was waving to also in the frame. I also wanted to capture some of the branding on the court that shows she is in Toronto, Canada."

From the photographer, Alexander Hassenstein:

"It was incredibly impressive to see the power these cyclists put to their sport on the track. Not only an individual performance but a specially coordinated team performance is required here. I was really fascinated by this sport. It took so much speed, strength, coordination and trust so was really special to witness the success of the team."

From the photographer, Clive Rose:

"Shooting swimming outdoors is quite a rare occurrence in Europe. While it's definitely preferable to shoot indoors, it comes with its own unique set of challenges. We only had a short window of opportunity where the sunlight would hit the pool and light up the subject. Different swimming strokes also make for interesting shots; with this being Freestyle, the swimmers surface early so it's important to have the underwater camera positioned specifically for that.

"For this image, I wanted to shoot with the light (i.e., with the sun behind the camera) so the subject would be illuminated by natural early morning light."

From the photographer, Tim Nwachukwu:

"This came after Ally Sentnor scored in the USWNT opening match against Ghana at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica. The goal meant a bit more for Sentnor and the team as she just returned from an ACL tear that occurred last fall."

From the photographer, Maja Hitij:

"In the European Championships in Munich, climbing — which made its Olympic debut in Tokyo — was one of the sports to watch. In this photo, Hannah Meul of Germany took a little break while climbing a long route, enjoying the home crowd, who really pushed the German athletes.

"Lead is mainly endurance, and you aren't allowed to make a mistake, unlike in bouldering where you can try many times. At this spot too, she was also safe to take time to shake her arms before continuing. When I photograph lead, I try to go a bit far away and then shoot with a long lens (mostly 400m) and check the route where they turn a bit so I don't have their faces facing the wall the whole time."

From the photographer, Hector Vivas:

"This day was a very complicated day as a photographer. Prior to this game, we had the France vs. Nigeria game in the same stadium, and during this first game, we had some of the worst rain I've ever seen during a game until my computer crashed and I couldn't turn it on. My concern was to be able to continue sending images and fulfill the next game.

"I spoke with my colleague and teammate, Katelyn Mulcahy, and she helped me send photos through her computer. Two Korea Republic goal celebrations happened on the side where I was standing, so I would run to the stands to drop off my memory card with the photos, for Katelyn to help me edit and send on time. This photo would definitely not exist without the help and companionship of Katelyn."

From the photographer, Matthias Hangst:

"I photographed almost all the gymnastics competitions at the European Games Munich 2022. That means a few long days where you get to see a lot of routines. At some point you start looking for new perspectives for the different apparatus. You don't want to deliver the same picture from the same angle every day.

"This low position for the balance beam is not always easy. If an athlete is performing in the wrong direction, you can be unlucky and end up without a picture, but sometimes you have to take a little risk to get something special. I like the balance in combination with the color of the gymnast's dress. It is a very calm and balanced moment during all the spectacular sequences of such a performance."

From the photographer, Adam Pretty:

"I was underwater, kind of right under the exit ramp to the swim leg of the triathlon as I wanted to get the camera as low as possible and capture some of the splash and drama as the athletes sprinted from the water to the bike transition. You need to be pretty fortunate to have a pack of athletes all together like in this image so it was great to see and I think it helps add to the intensity."

From the photographer, Matthias Hangst:

"I had positioned myself on a nearby hill for the start of the triathlon race. My colleague, Adam Pretty, was in the water with an underwater housing to photograph the start from there. We wanted to create two dynamic but different images of the same moment.

"The special thing about this triathlon race was the late start time on this day. Usually these starts take place early in the morning. The later light on the artificial open-air water created beautiful contrasts between the splashing water and the darker, calm water. Usually, you focus on the moment when the athletes swap in, but on this day I almost liked the gliding under water and the first moment of resurfacing even better."

From the photographer, Alexander Hassenstein:

"Being based in Munich, this was a great and emotional event for me to photograph at Olympic Park Munich. The European Championships was not only an enthusiastic event for the athletes, but also for the spectators to be able to experience the beloved sport up close.

"At the women's triathlon, thousands of people were on the Olympic Mountain and motivating the athletes to achieve top performance. It was a nice experience to see this at this time, how close the love to the sport is still possible, so wanted to capture that here."

From the photographer, Vaughn Ridley:

"Coco Gauff was playing in a doubles match with her partner, Jessica Pegula, during the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto. The sun had come out on this day, and I decided to go up high in the stands to get a clean background and work with the shadows that were being cast on the court by the players.

"I was generally lucky to get this image, as I just happened to be on the right side of the court with Gauff facing me. In this moment, the ball bounced close to the net, and she ran and jumped high in the air to smash the ball down on the opposite side of the court for a point."

From the photographer, Darrian Traynor:

"The Hawthorn AFLW team are one of four new teams to enter the AFLW competition this year. I was assigned to cover their first practice match, where they would play the far more experienced Richmond team. Having played in the competition since its inception six years ago, Richmond proved to be the superior side and dominated most of the game. Hawthorn hadn't kicked a goal up to ¾ time.

"With the result of the game decided, I moved myself to the end Hawthorn were kicking in the last quarter in the hope that they may kick a goal, which would be the team's first in an AFLW-sanctioned match. Dominique Carbone was tackled high and awarded a free kick near goal. I positioned myself hoping to capture the celebration if she could kick straight. Although her team lost, the moment was not lost on Dominique. She celebrated the moment as team mares ran to her side to join in."

From the photographer, Dylan Buell:

"A great aspect of shooting tennis is being able to explore the light. The earlier rounds of a tournament can make for very long days, with matches starting in the morning and continuing deep into the night. Much of that time, the light can be harsh, but evening is when the court takes on an entirely different feel. I wanted to capture that as best as I could during this match, featuring Leylah Fernandez, the fading sun lighting just the edge of her face and the ball as she served."

From the photographer, Dylan Buell:

"The repetitive nature of tennis is a wonderful opportunity to really hone in on capturing an athlete's skills. Each forehand, backhand, lob, or serve is ever so slightly different, displaying various angles of how their body and racket flows together with each strike. This shot of Emma Raducanu is a great example: a backhand strike with her racket swinging behind her, the ball framed between herself and her racket, and her eyes, as always, on the ball."

From the photographer, Matthias Hangst:

"Steeplechase races always offer a great opportunity for spectacular pictures. As a photographer, you can get very close to the athletes and position yourself at the end of the water with a wide-angle lens. The athletes often jump over the hurdle as a group, especially in the first rounds. Of course, as a photographer you also get a lot of water. But the pictures are always worth the extra shower. The dynamic of the water splashes with the athletes in the air create a special setting."

From the photographer, Steph Chambers:

"Besides covering a game from our normal photo position on the court, basketball lends itself to many remote camera possibilities. Hanging a camera in the catwalk of an arena is extremely dangerous, so we ensure the safest methods.

"By working with arena security and arriving 3.5 hours early, I was able to safely mount the camera equipment in the catwalk above one of the hoops before anyone was on the court for warmups. One tricky part of this setup is that Climate Pledge Arena has two scoreboards instead of one center court scoreboard. The two scoreboards are slightly visible near the backboards seen from above.

"During the game, I trigger the catwalk camera with a pocket wizard that is on top of one of my handheld cameras. Then, I fire it in hopes of catching something unique of players looking up!"

From the photographer, Lintao Zhang:

"Artistic gymnastics always presents the most beautiful pictures. I was looking for different shooting angles during the competition, so I had been waiting in the stands before Liu Xinrui of China came on stage. I captured the process of her stretching and was able to get Liu with perfectly pointed toes mid-air with the ribbon beautifully draped across the frame."

From the photographer, Matt King:

"This picture of Australian swimmer Alexandria Perkins was taken in Sydney during the Australian Short Course Swimming Championships ahead of Worlds, which are being held in Melbourne in December. The event is held in a 25-meter pool, which differs to the standard 50-meter pool in traditional events. Because of this, the laps are swum very fast and times are quicker than in the long course events.

"For this particular final, I moved to the end of the pool so I was head on to the athletes as opposed the being on the site side. I quite like shooting head on for events such as butterfly and breaststroke as the athletes are looking directly forward while breathing. I like this picture as it is a striking image of Alexandria's face. I also like the droplets of water around her face and the fact that her kick is forming a whitewash behind her head which accentuates her face."

From the photographer, Mark Evans:

"The St Kilda AFL women's team sang their victory song on the field for all to witness their sheer joy and pride. Two debutantes and a 50-game veteran, center frame, shriek with laughter as they are sprayed with water after the round one game against the Sydney Swans. Capturing the action is a vital part of the game, but I love the raw emotion players display after a win."

From the photographer, Hector Vivas:

"It was a completely full stadium, with almost 30,000 people watching the final of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, and this image happened right at the end of the match with Spain as world champion. I was fortunate that this celebration happened in front of me, with players from Japan wailing in the background."