40 most iconic sports photos from Getty Images this month

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 month.

Jonas Blixt of Sweden plays a shot on the first hole during the second round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta on April 29, 2022, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

This was a new golf course for me and every day I discovered new places and backgrounds to shoot, but also learned how the lighting hit in different places. The first groups to start had an orange sunrise light that I was able to occupy in this photo. That day my goal was to get to the second tee to start work, but as I was walking I saw this light and this shadow that was generated so I took the opportunity to take this photograph.

— Hector Vivas

Katie Taylor of Ireland trades punches with Amanda Serrano of Puerto Rico for the World Lightweight Title fight at Madison Square Garden on April 30, 2022, in New York, New York. This bout marks the first women’s boxing fight to headline Madison Square Garden in the venue’s history. Taylor defeated Serrano on a judge’s decision.

Boxing is my favorite sport to shoot, and there was no question how important it was to me to be able to shoot a historic matchup between two decorated female fighters in an arena that is known as “The Mecca of Boxing.” Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano were set to be the first female fighters to headline a main card at Madison Square Garden. The whole week, with all of its lead-up events and all of its pomp and circumstance, centered around the historical impact of these two fighters going head-to-head. By the end of Saturday night, after the final bell, they had given us an incredible and exciting 10 rounds of boxing in front of a sold-out MSG crowd, a feat that rivaled the famous Ali/Frazier fight at MSG in the early 70s. When I checked the back of my camera to see my images, this one stood out right away. In this frame, in an almost storybook way, Taylor and Serrano are quite literally head to head, each landing a punch, Serrano’s hair wrapping the battle-wounded face of Katie Taylor in its embrace. I loved the movement of the hair, the ferocity in Katie’s eyes, and the power/intensity that you feel from this frame.

— Sarah Stier

Leylah Fernandez of Canada serves in her second-round match against Jil Teichmann of Switzerland during day four of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on May 1, 2022, in Madrid, Spain.

In this image, Leylah Fernandez of Canada serves in her second-round match against Jil Teichmann of Switzerland during day four of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica. I wanted to shoot Fernandez in great light as she had played in an earlier round on a day with no sun previously and I saw the yellow dress and thought that color would look outstanding against the red clay on a sunny day. Luckily for me on day four, the sun shined bright, and Fernandez was on a court that had some great sharp shadows from the roof. What was unusual about this photo was that there were roof supports which at a certain five-minute window during the day, created a triangle when shooting directly behind the steel support column. Ideally, I wanted a cool action shot like a stretch but nothing really happened in the five-minute window of light but even a simple serve ball toss worked well due to the unusual triangle of light I was able to create.

— Clive Brunskill

Tommy Pham of the Cincinnati Reds slides safely into home against Omar Narvaez of the Milwaukee Brewers on a three-RBI double by Tyler Stephenson during a game at Great American Ball Park on May 11, 2022, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Stephenson reached third base on the play due to a throwing error.

In baseball, you really have to be on high alert and anticipate the sudden slides and steals. In this particular photo, Tommy Pham of the Cincinnati Reds is slid into home plate against Omar Narvaez of the Milwaukee Brewers. You might get a couple of chances for a photo like this per game, but they are still my favorite to make because it really takes anticipation and concentration. This photo stuck out to me even more because of TJ Friedl of the Reds motioning for a run in the background.

— Emilee Chinn

Runners compete in the men’s 10,000-meter run final during the Pac-12 Track & Field Championship at Hayward Field on May 13, 2022, in Eugene, Oregon.

The 10,000-meter run is an event that takes time which allows for some creativity with each passing lap before the final celebration. It was pouring at Hayward Field, and I wanted to capture the beauty of the race in the ugly weather. Instead of wiping the rain away from my lens, I let drops pool up for this slow shutter panning image.

— Steph Chambers

Rich Strike with Sonny Leon up wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7, 2022, in Louisville, Kentucky.

In this photo, Jockey Sonny Leon rides 80-1 long shot Rich Strike to victory during the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. This was taken with a remote camera installed under the inside rail in the dirt on the finish line. Myself and my colleague Jamie Squire set up a total of five cameras on the finish line to capture the winner at the wire. This particular image was taken with a Canon R3 camera with a 15-35mm lens set at 23mm, with a shutter speed of 1/3200th of a second to stop the action as the horse and jockey crossed the finish line.

— Rob Carr

The New York Rangers celebrate their 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 15, 2022, in New York City.

There’s nothing more exciting than the Stanley Cup playoffs. In this image, the New York Rangers celebrated their overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. I started feeling a bit ill as Artemi Panarin scored in my sights and as he started to celebrate, he started to spin away from me. I only got off one decent frame of his solo celebration, but as the players came together on the boards to my right, I racked the lens out to take in the whole scene. Players clustered together with their teammates flowing off the bench to join in on the celebration.

— Bruce Bennett

Henrik Stenson of Sweden reacts on the seventh hole during the first round of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 19, 2022, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Henrik Stenson is well-known for his sense of humor and is someone I have been photographing for over 20 years. I was just standing by on the 7th hole at Southern Hills as he walked by and was in a mischievous mood. The shape his hands make along with the crisp white shirt and nicely blown-out dark background make for a nice fun frame of “The Iceman”.

— Andrew Redington

James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Miami Heat during Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 8, 2022, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Heat 116-108.

My favorite types of sports images are when athletes react to whatever just happened in the game. These types of images can really tell the story of the game, especially in the playoffs when the game’s intensity is higher than a regular-season game. This particular image was taken of James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 against the Miami Heat. This happened after Harden hit a 3-point basket in the second half and after he scored he turned around and screamed. When I went to edit this image, I provided a bunch of different crops to tell the story, but I wanted to make sure I had one image where all you could see was Harden and not to be distracted by anything in the background.

— Mitchell Leff

Marc Castro lands a right on Pedro Vicente Scharbaai during their lightweight bout at T-Mobile Arena on May 7, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Castro won by unanimous decision.

This is a straight-up action shot — I was able to time the punch connecting at the point of impact. It was a back-and-forth contest. I concentrated on shooting a bit tighter in the photo because the Arena’s LCD screen display was ruining the background of all the photos. Boxing is always a much more difficult sport to shoot than one thinks. You are in a very tight position at ringside and have to stay put.  If you concentrate and stay on the action, you may be able to achieve the action shot you are looking for.  I was lucky to get this.

— Al Bello

Andrew Copp of the New York Rangers gets tangled up with Antti Raanta of the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 20, 2022, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes shut out the Rangers 2-0.

The very popular hockey netcam strikes again. At this time of the year (playoffs), there is usually so much action in the crease with players skating in on the net and acrobatic saves by goaltenders that I can end up with 1,000 frames a game. I had a good half-dozen images to choose from, as Andrew Copp of the Rangers got a bit too close to Carolina’s Antti Raanta and the two got briefly tangled throwing Copp off balance.

— Bruce Bennett

Will Zalatoris of the United States reacts to his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 22, 2022, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Will Zalatoris of the USA was right in the mix at Southern Hills Country Club. He had a chance to win his first Major Championship but needed to make a crucial putt on the 18th green to stand a chance of lifting the title. After seeing where his ball had finished, I needed to choose my shooting position. I wanted an angle where he would be putting towards me and with a clean background so he would stand out from any distracting objects. Just as I’d hoped, he made the putt and celebrated straight toward me giving me a dramatic and emotional picture.

— Ross Kinnaird

Honolua Blomfield of Hawaii competes during the 2022 Sydney Surf Pro World Longboard Tour at Manly Beach on May 17, 2022, in Manly, Australia.

On this particular day during the Sydney Surf Pro, the conditions were more suited to running the longboard event. As opposed to short boarding, the longboard event awards stylish surfing on more traditional long surfboards. This picture features current women’s world champion Honolua Blomfield of Hawaii. I used a slow shutter speed to capture her graceful movement up and down the length of the board.

— Matt King

Jay Haas plays a shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf Golf Course on May 8, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia.

For this tournament, they usually change up the front nine holes so there’s always something different for players as well as for photographers each year. As I made my way around this extremely widespread course looking for something unique, I noticed a ton of traps located around the sixth green. With the right placement, I saw these traps in the background of some second and third shots from different angles. As Jay Haas went up for his third shot, he was pretty close to the traps, unlike many others. As I decided on the angle, I wanted to place myself off in the distance. I enjoyed seeing how these traps looked dramatically wider like he would be swallowed up by their size, as well as how they are covering the entire fairway between him and the green. This view definitely gives people a great idea of what Haas has to look at while looking past them to the green and pin placement.

— Kevin C. Cox

Owen Power of the Buffalo Sabres collides with Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins during the first period at TD Garden on April 28, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts.

I find photographing hockey to be very challenging. It’s fast-moving and it’s difficult to make something “different”. Every so often though the ice cooperates! Here Owen Power and Trent Frederic collide, emphasized by ice shavings surrounding both players. Their skates were tangled as they battled for control of the puck. I like images that show the impact and strength of the players as hockey is such a physical sport.

— Maddie Meyer

Minjee Lee of Australia reacts after sinking a putt for birdie on the 18th green to win during the final round of the Cognizant Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club on May 15, 2022, in Clifton, New Jersey.

This moment at the Cognizant Founders Cup was exciting because while Minjee Lee held the lead for most of the day. other players were coming up close, making for an exciting finish. After a great shot from the fairway, Lee sunk a putt for birdie and gave the crowd an authentic reaction. Framing her in the center of a sea of onlookers, I captured Lee’s joy in a way that draws you right to the subject.

— Sarah Stier

Fernandinho of Manchester City lifts the Premier League trophy with teammates Riyad Mahrez, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Diaz and Gabriel Jesus during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium on May 22, 2022, in Manchester, England.

After a long and intense battle this season between Manchester City and Liverpool, the Premier League title went down to the wire and the drama of the final day was written over every face in this shot. This was photographed from an exclusive position in with the main broadcast TV camera, very close to the presentations. It’s a privilege to shoot from here but brings a lot of pressure to get it right. This time it worked thankfully.

— Michael Regan

Abraham Ancer of Mexico throws a glove in the air on the 10th tee prior to the Mexico Open at Vidanta on April 27, 2022, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

This photo was taken a day before the Mexico Open started and Abraham Ancer was getting ready to start his practice on the 10th hole. Ancer being the highest-ranked Mexican player, always has a lot of people and interviews around him. While he was waiting to start, he started throwing his glove in the air and I took some photos to capture the moment.

— Hector Vivas

Elin Cederroos of Sweden fights against Franchon Crews-Dezurn of the United States for the World Super Middleweight Title at Madison Square Garden on April 30, 2022, in New York, New York.

This fight between Elin Cederroos and Franchon Crews-Dezurn was one of the closest things I’ve seen to a gladiator battle. Both women were throwing dramatic punches, and blood poured out of cuts and noses round after round. Though Cederroos lost the fight, she was somehow able to push through each round. It’s such a mental battle as much as it is a physical one. This fight was bloody and brutal, but Cederroos displayed an incredible amount of fight. Taking a punch here from Crews-Dezurn, I like that you can see how intense this battle was by the way the blood sprays from the mouth and nose of Cederroos.

— Sarah Stier

An athlete competes on the bike during the 2021 IRONMAN World Championships on May 7, 2022, in St George, Utah.

This was the first year that the IRONMAN World Championships were held outside of Hawaii so the opportunity to see a new course in the dynamic landscape of Southern Utah, was very appealing. The reddish color to a lot of the rock formations around St. George really grabbed my eye after scouting the course. This one downhill section early in the bike course was full of visual opportunities as racers flew down a steep grade with the blue sky and warm cliffs funneling to the desert. I decided to silhouette them against the hill. The race itself was full of dynamic rock formations great for imagery, but this one section really grabbed my eye.

— Sean M. Haffey

Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies warms up before the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 10, 2022, in Seattle, Washington.

I love to take photos above the team bullpens before games as pitchers are warming up, but often ask myself how I can make these images different from the last time I came to take photos in this location. Something I have been working on occasionally since last MLB season is shooting at a slow shutter and seeing what kind of motion can be created from their pitching. This photo stood out to me because of the bold colors in the image, as well as the figure of the pitcher. Despite shooting at such a slow shutter, I was happy to create an image where you can see the clear motion of the arms and legs of the pitcher, and even the baseball in his hand.

— Abbie Parr

Mark Borowiecki of the Nashville Predators fights with Bokondji Imama of the Arizona Coyotes during the first period of the NHL game at Gila River Arena on April 29, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona.

This photo was taken at the last home game played for the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena. On this day, I walked around on the upper level to get some different views. When a fight broke out, I had a terrific high angle of the action. Players came together and the referees framed the fight perfectly. This fight also turned the momentum for the Coyotes who eventually came back to win. It was a nice little surprise from this location.

— Christian Petersen

Minnesota Lynx gather before the game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on May 6, 2022, in Seattle, Washington.

The Seattle Storm entered this season in their new home of Climate Pledge Arena (CPA), a beautiful facility with beautiful light. With access to roam, I was able to position my 16-35mm lens quickly under the huddle of the Minnesota Lynx before the inaugural WNBA game at CPA. Proximity like this always allows for their viewer to feel like they are in the game with the stars.

— Steph Chambers

Antony Silva of Puebla celebrates after his team’s second goal during the playoff match between Puebla and Mazatlan FC as part of the Torneo Grita Mexico C22 Liga MX at Cuauhtemoc Stadium on May 8, 2022 in Puebla, Mexico.

Puebla was a very fun team to photograph all season. There was a lot of passion in their games, in their celebrations, and on many occasions last-minute goals. In this playoff match, goalkeeper Antony Silva was the hero after saving goals in the penalty shootout. Here, we see Silva celebrating the second goal of his team and the one that put them ahead on the scoreboard.

— Hector Vivas

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Wrangler Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway on May 22, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Jockey Angel Suarez rides General’s Duty as he races against jockey Joel Rosario riding Amarillo in an undercard race prior to the 147th Running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 21, 2022, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Alicia Cervantes of Chivas celebrates after scoring her team’s third goal during the final first leg match between Pachuca and Chivas as part of the Torneo Grita Mexico C22 Liga MX Femenil at Hidalgo Stadium on May 20, 2022, in Pachuca, Mexico. (Photo by Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images)

Andrew Mangiapane (L) of the Calgary Flames celebrates with teammate Mikael Backlund after scoring against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period of Game 1 of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome on May 18, 2022, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)

Tiger Woods of the United States reacts on the 14th green during the first round of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 19, 2022, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Leury Garcia of the Chicago White Sox is upended by Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals as Witt dives back into second base on a caught fly ball during the 8th inning of game two of a doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium on May 17, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Kyle Larson, driver of the No, 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 14, 2022, in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning takes the ice during Game 5 of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Amalie Arena on May 12, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Nic Dowd of the Washington Capitals celebrates his goal with teammates against the Florida Panthers during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on May 13, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter of Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals at Chase Center on May 13, 2022, in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Athletes compete in the bike leg of Ironman Mallorca during the IRONMAN Mallorca on May 7, 2022, in Mallorca, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Ben Waterhouse, Head of Performance Engineering at Red Bull Racing celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami International Autodrome on May 8, 2022, in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Clive Mason – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays is doused with water by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Santiago Espinal following an extra-innings win against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on April 26, 2022, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Mason Massey, driver of the No. 91 A-Z Companies Chevrolet, spins with flames after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Xfinity Series A-GAME 200 at Dover Motor Speedway on April 30, 2022, in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach of Real Madrid is hoisted by his players following their victory in the LaLiga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and RCD Espanyol for their 35th La Liga Championship title at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 30, 2022, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

The Army celebrate on the final whistle during the Women’s Army v Navy Babcock Trophy match at Twickenham Stadium on April 30, 2022, in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)