Victory photos by the Roland-Garros' photographers

When?

Roland-Garros 2021

Who won?

Stefanos Tsitsipas, in the men’s singles semi-finals

What was happening behind the lens at that moment and how did you feel?

Pauline Ballet: Tsitsipas had just beaten Alexander Zverev after five close-fought sets to win a place in the final at Roland-Garros for the first time. At that exact moment in time I was especially happy that he turned around and reacted in just the right way. When you’re a photographer and it’s match point, you’re always worried that you’re not in the right position.

What do you think makes a great victory photo in tennis?

PB: Pure emotion and an uncluttered background.

What do you like the most about tennis photography?

PB: That “arena” effect you have at courts and the many little corners you get at them too. You’re on the lookout for precise movements, concentration in the player’s faces, and those immediate reactions.

What is it that makes Roland-Garros unique?

PB: The colours of the clay, the late-afternoon spring light, the bowl, the terracing, the shadows and the sharp-eyed official photography team.

What do you think makes a Roland-Garros victory photo so unique in an aesthetic sense?

PB: What I like most of all are photos of joy with the clay as a background, when the player falls down to the ground.

Which tennis player do you enjoy photographing the most?

PB: Roger Federer

Who would you like to see win at Roland-Garros 2022?

PB: Hugo Gaston

When?

Roland-Garros 2016

Who won?

Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, in the women’s doubles final

What was happening behind the lens at that moment and how did you feel?

Amélie Laurin: I was moved by the joy they felt. It was wonderful: French players winning at Roland! The third set was tight, with the result in doubt till the end, which made their win all the more beautiful and intense. And then there’s the fact that emotions are shared in doubles. I saw them hugging each other and in the corner of my eye I saw their opponents walk up to each other and do the same. As I clicked away, I trained my lens on that moment to give depth to the photo.

What do you think makes a great victory photo in tennis?

AL: Emotion, without question. You have to capture the moment when the emotion of the player is at its most beautiful, most spontaneous and most touching. What’s tough is that we get emotional behind the lens too. But you can’t lose focus or stop thinking about the framing, the background, etc, which are every bit as important in terms of reading the image as its emotional weight.

What do you like the most about tennis photography?

AL: Tennis photography is about power and graceful movement, an exact moment captured in that movement, a moment of emotion. And when the tennis photography gods are with us, it’s also about light, shadows and backlighting. It’s looking for the perfect spot to set up, to anticipate. You’re never more focused than when it’s set point or match point. It’s looking for the details. That’s what I love.

What is it that makes Roland-Garros unique?

AL: A great team! It’s a real pleasure to be part of it. Working with talented people pushes you to surpass yourself on an artistic level. And they’re also good people who do good things.

What do you think makes a Roland-Garros victory photo so unique in an aesthetic sense?

AL: The clay that sticks to the player’s clothes and skin and reveals the very last traces of the battle they’ve been in. The heightened sense of joy because it’s a Grand Slam tournament.

Which tennis player do you enjoy photographing the most?

AL: I love photographing the most expressive players because their emotion really comes across. For me it’s Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Cori Gauff and, among the French players, Hugo Gaston.

Who would you like to see win at Roland-Garros 2022?

AL: I’d have to say Rafael Nadal again. It’s fascinating to see someone beat records. It’s harder to say who’ll win the women’s, which is more unpredictable. I’d love to see Maria Sakkari, I think.

When?

Roland-Garros 2021

Who won?

Novak Djokovic, in the men’s singles quarter-finals

What was happening behind the lens at that moment and how did you feel?

Nicolas Gouhier: Novak Djokovic beat Matteo Berretini in the quarter-finals, with the Italian pushing the Serbian to the limit in the fifth set. There were no fans allowed in the stadium, zero atmosphere and a deafening silence and then, all of a sudden, Djokovic released all the tension that had built up inside him during the match and let out this primeval, spine-tingling cry. It’s an image that conveys just how hard the  sport is, the mental strength that can turn a match around just like that. But not everyone is Djokovic. Love him or loathe him, you can’t deny his talent.

What do you think makes a great victory photo in tennis?

NG: What I’ve just said about this image. It’s not especially aesthetic. It conveys, simply and accurately, the emotional journey the player goes on during the course of a match. It’s an image that sums up the match.

What do you like the most about tennis photography?

NG: The sport in itself. I’m a fan and I love playing. It’s a tough sport to photograph. It’s easy to get the forehands and the backhands, but you have to zero in on the details, the postures and the reaction, which takes a huge amount of concentration.

What is it that makes Roland-Garros unique?

NG: My bunch of mates in the photography department. We meet up every year and the team has got bigger and bigger over the years because the demand for images keeps on growing. That means more and more mates, which is just great.

What do you think makes a Roland-Garros victory photo so unique in an aesthetic sense?

NG: Let me refer you back to the question above. The aesthetics of photography are subjective. What I find beautiful might not be for others.

Which tennis player do you enjoy photographing the most?

NG: Rafa, every time. I find him inspiring. What he gives to the sport is just amazing. He’s like Djokovic –  you either love him or hate him. His humility is worthy of respect, and here’s an example of that for you: a couple of years ago I was running a bit late for a match. I charged down the stairs that takes the players out to the Court Central because I wanted to get out there and catch them knocking up. Nadal was running along after his warm-up in the corridor and I came this close to barging into him, and yet he’s the one who apologises. I just love him!

Who would you like to see win at Roland-Garros 2022?

NG: I don’t have a favourite in particular. I just can’t wait to see Roland-Garros packed to the rafters again.

When?

Roland-Garros 2018

Who won?

Rafael Nadal, in the men’s singles final

What was happening behind the lens at that moment and how did you feel?

Cedric Lecocq: Rafael Nadal’s win in 2018. I was sitting in the stand behind his entourage, high up with the fans, and when he won and I saw him turn around, raise his arms and look up to the sky, I knew I had a good photo. You just feel privileged to have witnessed that moment.

What do you think makes a great victory photo in tennis?

CL: You need a few things to come together, like an intense, high-stakes match, a player who’s full of emotion and, of course, good light.

What do you like the most about tennis photography?

CL: When a match gets under way, we usually have around two hours to photograph them, which means we get a lot of different angles and close-ups even and the chance to drill down into the details and emotions.

What is it that makes Roland-Garros unique?

CL: How close the fans are to the players, especially in the first week of the tournament.

What do you think makes a Roland-Garros victory photo so unique in an aesthetic sense?

CL: Clay dust on a player’s clothes.

Which tennis player do you enjoy photographing the most?

CL: I love photographing all different types of players. Some have a class of their own, a special elegance, like Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Gael Monfils.

Who would you like to see win at Roland-Garros 2022?

CL: I’d love to see Carlos Alcaraz or a French player win Roland-Garros one day. Why not in 2022?

When?

Roland-Garros 2006

Who won?

Amélie Mauresmo wins a game in her fourth-round women’s singles match against Nicole Vaidisova

What was happening behind the lens at that moment and how did you feel?

CD: It’s a typical Amélie Mauresmo photo; the clenched fist and the ponytail flying in the late-afternoon light as the sun starts to go down.

Amélie won her two Grand Slam titles in 2006. She’d won the Australian and there was a real expectation she’d win in Paris. When I took the photo, I said to myself that it was her year at Roland. But she went and lost that day in the fourth round to Vaidisova.

What do you think makes a great victory photo in tennis?

CD: I think you have to try and capture what the player is feeling as best you can. The look on their face often reveals a whole host of things. If the match is close, then emotions are intensified and the photos so much stronger. It’s down to us to be in the best spot and anticipate how things might play out.

What do you like the most about tennis photography?

CD: The sheer variety of the places, the venues, the strokes and everything to do with tennis, and, of course, the love I have for tennis and photography.

What is it that makes Roland-Garros unique?

CD: That special clay colour in the spring light. And then we get all these different angles, which gives us so much freedom to express ourselves.

What do you think makes a Roland-Garros victory photo so unique in an aesthetic sense?

CD: When you manage to capture the emotion the player feels and you’re in the position you need to be to take a great photo.

Which tennis player do you enjoy photographing the most?

CD: It’s not very original but it has to be Rafa, though there are a lot of other players I enjoy photographing like Djokovic, Tsitsipas, Rublev, Thiem or Stan. Among the women it’s Sakkiri, Swiatek and, of course, Serena.

Who would you like to see win at Roland-Garros 2022?

CD: Come on! A little 22 for Rafa! I’d love to see Dominic Thiem or Tsitsipas win at Roland one day, and why not Novak joining Rafa on 21 Grand Slams. All bets are off!