Sometimes a single moment says more than an entire match. That is exactly what happened at the World Sports Photography Awards 2026, where the top honor went to photographer Edgar Su for his striking image titled “Carlos’ Shadow Hits a Ball.” The competition is held with the support of Canon and is considered the world’s leading global award dedicated exclusively to sports photography, DKNews.kz reports.
World Sports Photography Awards brings together the best professional sports photographers from around the world. Winning images are showcased on the official competition website, forming a visual chronicle of sport at its most intense and emotional.
One Shot at the Australian Open That Became Art
The award-winning photograph was taken during the fourth-round match of the Australian Open 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. The image captures Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz in action against Britain’s Jack Draper.
What makes the photo extraordinary is its composition. Rather than focusing solely on the athlete, the image places visual emphasis on Alcaraz’s shadow, perfectly mirroring his movement at the moment of impact. Light, motion, and timing come together to transform a split-second rally into a powerful piece of visual storytelling.
World Sports Photography Awards
Leading a Collection of the World’s Best Sports Images
Edgar Su’s photograph now sits at the top of a curated collection of 24 winning images across multiple sports categories. These include American football, athletics, baseball, equestrian sports, golf, racket sports, winter sports, football, and more.
The 2026 edition of the awards became the largest in the competition’s history. A record 23,130 images were submitted by 4,120 photographers from 123 countries, reinforcing the awards’ reputation as one of the most internationally respected and widely recognized sports photography competitions in the world.
Technology Evolves, but Vision Still Matters Most
The exceptional quality and diversity of this year’s submissions underline a simple truth: even in an era of rapid technological advancement, the photographer’s vision and creative skill remain paramount. Around the globe, sports photographers continue to push boundaries, experiment with perspective, and redefine what the genre can be.
Commenting on this year’s winners, Richard Shepherd, Senior Product Marketing Manager for Imaging at Canon Europe, said the awarded images showcase photographers operating at the peak of their creative potential.
World Sports Photography Awards
“They push boundaries, see differently, and capture sport in ways we haven’t seen before,” Shepherd noted. He added that Canon’s role is to support this creativity with equipment photographers can rely on in high-pressure environments, enabling them to capture unique images in the most intense moments.
When Sport Becomes Timeless Visual Storytelling
Edgar Su’s winning image is a reminder that sport is not only about scores and statistics. Sometimes, a single photograph can convey the drama, speed, and beauty of competition more powerfully than words ever could.
It is these moments — frozen in time — that elevate sports photography from documentation to art, ensuring that the emotion of the game lives on long after the final point is played.
