Wimbledon 2021 photography

By Sarah Edworthy

As The Championships’ photographic manager, Bob Martin appreciates the finer details of the images which every day capture the essence of Wimbledon – players in a moment of triumph or defeat, their full-action athletic endeavours, the emotions wrung in the course of a match, and the affectionate dynamic between competitors and the engaged crowd; all set against the signature backdrop of immaculately cultivated green grass.

Each day his team of 10 photographers roam the Grounds, hunting out another unique aspect to add to the cache of stunning images that encapsulate the human drama of each tournament. They take up position courtside or high up in the arenas, even manipulating eight remote control cameras strategically positioned around the Grounds.

Given the rich entertainment staged in the first six days, it’s a near impossible task to narrow down the week's full portfolio to highlights. Nevertheless, here, Bob nominates six of the best images that mark the talking points and historic moments of Week One.

Frances Tiafoe, celebrating his victory over No.3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Day One of the 2021 Championships, photographed by David Gray. “This is a beautiful example of capturing the moment, the euphoria of winning. You see what it means to Tiafoe, his body language jumps off the screen. It’s mega. The grass immediately shows you it’s Wimbledon, and you can tell it is early in the tournament because it looks so fresh."

Floodlit play on both Centre Court and No.1 Court, photographed at 21.39pm by Joe Toth. “This is a historic shot, illustrating the first time we had play under the lights simultaneously on Centre and No.1 Courts, with the black stormy sky above indicating exactly why both roofs are closed. Joe took it using a remote camera we had fitted onto the broadcast crane a week before the Championships.”

Ball Boys and Girls in masks, photographed by Jed Leicester. “Pictures have to illustrate the times, and this image beautifully captures the BBGs operating under Covid precautions. What makes it special for me is the symmetry and the slither of focus on the third ball boy with his look of innocence. It's a picture of four youngsters but the overall depth and feel of the shot gives a sense of the well-drilled BBG operation.”

Mikael Ymer, a study of focus, photographed by Jonathan Nackstrand. “This is a wonderful full-action picture because the young Swedish player’s eyes show such incredible concentration, and project a strong sense of the competitive focus required to succeed at Wimbledon. People think you have to have the ball on a racket for a striking image, but that’s rarely the case. Through facial expressions and body position, you get more emotion in the frame when a player is preparing to make a shot.”

A rueful Andy Murray waving goodbye after losing to Denis Shapovalov in the third round, photographed by Edward Whitaker. “You have to wonder whether this was his last time time on Centre Court, so it’s an important moment to capture. Everyone knows his story, and his heroic struggle to return to play at Wimbledon. Here you see and feel the affection and respect in which he is held in the way the crowd is reacting to his departure, applauding him in a prolonged standing ovation."

Emma Raducanu falls to the grass of No.1 Court after beating Sorana Cirstea to become only the fourth British teenager in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of the women’s singles. Photograph taken by Jonathan Nackstrand. “This is the story of The Championships so far. The key thing here is the inclusion of the crowd in the bottom of the frame because it tells you she’s won. It's a terrific example of capturing a split-second moment of history.”

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