Shadow Hits Ball Wins 2026 World Sport Photography Awards

A shadow image of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz’s racket perfectly hitting the ball has taken the top prize at The World Sports Photography Awards, sponsored by Canon.

EDGAR SU’S image "CARLOS' SHADOW HITS A BALL" is the overall winner of the record-breaking 2026 competition. The shot was taken during Alcaraz's his fourth-round tennis match against Britain's Jack Draper at the 2025 Australian Open hosted in Melbourne, Australia,

As the only global sports awards dedicated exclusively to sports imagery, the submissions represent work from the world’s best professional sport photographers.

The winning image leads a collection of 24 category-topping photographs spanning more than 50 sports including American Football, Athletics, Baseball, Equestrian, Golf, Racquet Sports, Winter Sports and Football .

This year’s awards mark the most successful edition in the competition’s history. A record-breaking 23,130 images were submitted by 4,120 photographers representing 123 countries, reinforcing the Awards’ status as one of the most internationally diverse and widely recognised sports photography competitions in the world.

The exceptional quality and diversity of this year's submissions highlight that, even with rapid technological advancements, the photographer’s eye and craft remain paramount. Sports photographers around the world continue to innovate, inspire, and push the creative boundaries of the medium.

Richard Shepherd, Product Marketing Senior Manager, Imaging at Canon Europe, adds:
“The images recognised this year showcase photographers at their creative best, pushing boundaries, seeing differently and capturing sport in ways we’ve not experienced before. Canon’s role is to support that creativity through equipment photographers can trust under pressure, enabling them to create different in the most demanding moments.”

All the winning images are showcased in the World Sports Photography Awards website.