21 most iconic sports photos from Getty Images this week

The sports world makes for a beautiful palette but individual images can get lost in the constant shuffle. Here are the most iconic sports photos from Getty Images this week.

Emma Raducanu of the United Kingdom returns against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during her Women’s Singles quarterfinals match on Day Ten of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 8, 2021, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

I shot this image from a position behind the service line. It’s located underground behind a cutout on the wall, out of view for the public. I noticed the light was right for this angle. The background was black, and the sun was in a good position to highlight Emma Raducanu. I just needed a good stretch and needed to time the picture right to get the ball on the racquet. I also shot at a very shallow depth of field to blur out the background and focus just on Raducanu. It’s a shot that you have to be patient as it may take most of or all of the match to get the player in the right position. Luckily, she did stretch, and I was able to time the photo right.

— Al Bello

Luis Torrens douses Abraham Toro of the Seattle Mariners after Toro’s grand slam to beat the Houston Astros 4-0 at T-Mobile Park on August 31, 2021, in Seattle, Washington.

It was quite the quiet night until Abraham Toro of the Seattle Mariners slugged a grand slam. When huge plays like this happen, sometimes teammates will douse the star of the game with a Gatorade cooler during their postgame interview. That was exactly the case. Because we are restricted to the photo wells and not on the field for postgame celebration photos, I kept in mind to shoot underneath Toro as much as I could from my set position since many times players react with their heads down when splashed. Another technical element I had to keep in mind was to expose for his face in the shadow of his hat. Fireworks went off moments before, which created a neat haze in the background. It’s always fun to see the team having a blast.

— Steph Chambers

Matilda Castren of Team Europe and Madelene Sagstrom of Team Europe celebrate with the Solheim Cup after winning over Team USA during day three of the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club on September 6, 2021, in Toledo, Ohio.

Here Matilda Castren and Madelene Sagstrom celebrate Team Europe’s victory over the United States in the Solheim Cup. The event was a first for me, I was new to covering match play golf which pits countries against each other. The Europeans played well all weekend, maintaining a steady lead and getting it done in the end. They were reserved on the course, surrounded overwhelmingly by American fans who were hopeful for a home team win. After the trophy ceremony, they really gave it up! Draped in their countries’ flags and being showered in champagne, the reigning champions held onto the Solheim Cup for another year.

— Maddie Meyer

Rob Gronkowski of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates his touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium on September 9, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

JoJo Earle of the Alabama Crimson Tide pulls in this reception against Yahsyn McKee of the Mercer Bears during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 11, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Bijan Robinson of the Texas Longhorns reacts after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 4, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Dameon Pierce of the Florida Gators scores a touchdown during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on September 11, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Shey Peddy of the Phoenix Mercury reacts with teammates after their 76-75 win over the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on September 8, 2021, in College Park, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Kahleah Copper of the Chicago Sky loses the ball after driving past Kia Nurse of the Phoenix Mercury during the second half of the WNBA game at the Footprint Center on August 31, 2021, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Sky 103-83. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Forward Kayla Thornton of the Dallas Wings rebounds the ball against forward Monique Billings of the Atlanta Dream in the first half at College Park Center on September 2, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Leylah Fernandez of Canada reacts against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during her Women’s Singles quarterfinals match on Day Nine of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 7, 2021, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Daniil Medvedev of Russia returns against Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands during his Men’s Singles quarterfinals match on Day Nine of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 7, 2021, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Garbine Muguruza of Spain reacts as she plays against Barbora Krejcikova of Czech Republic during their Women’s Singles fourth round match on Day Seven at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 5, 2021, in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays runs to the dugout prior to an MLB game against the Oakland Athletics at Rogers Centre on September 4, 2021, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays is hit by a pitch during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field on September 4, 2021, in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Frank Schwindel of the Chicago Cubs is mobbed by teammates following his walk-off single during the ninth inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on September 4, 2021, in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Pirates 7-6. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

Alex Verdugo of the Boston Red Sox reacts after he drove in the winning run against the Cleveland Indians in the ninth inning at Fenway Park on September 4, 2021, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United shoots whilst under pressure from Javier Manquillo of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford on September 11, 2021, in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of The Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on September 5, 2021, in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Clive Rose – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Team Canada celebrates after defeating United States in the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medal game played at WinSport Arena on August 31, 2021, in Calgary, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)

Nelly Korda of Team USA plays her shot from the third tee during the Foursomes Match on day two of the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club on September 5, 2021, in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)