Wimbledon is the world’s biggest tennis tournament. It has a very unique look. It is played on grass, players are required to participate in white apparel and royal visitors make appearances in the stands.

In 2022 AP’s photo team of Kirsty Wigglesworth, Alastair Grant and Alberto Pezzali have worked tirelessly to convey just that look and feel.

The main courts - Centre Court and Court 1 – where most of the big matches take place are permanently staffed. All matches on these courts, from early afternoon until sometimes late at night, are covered. A roof and lights on both show courts enable matches to often go on until very late. Centre Court also has the Royal Box and on a daily basis we get the attendees list for consideration.

The third photographer is responsible for covering the outside courts. They will have a list of matches and requests that they must prioritize. They will be assisted by the main court photographers as they have a couple of hours between the start of play on the outside courts and when play commences on the show courts.  

In the first week of Wimbledon, covering the outside courts can be a marathon day of shooting matches and negotiating routes from court to court amongst spectators.

By the time the second week comes around and almost all big matches move to Centre and Court 1, the outside court photographer will become the second shooter on the big games. They usually shoot from the roof position to give a different perspective and action with a cleaner background.

All images are remotely edited via an AP-developed software called Expedite. The tournament is a two-editor job.  One editor is onsite, and one is in a remote location. Photos are expedited to the editors directly from the camera via Wifi or cable.  We expect images on the wire within minutes after action, reaction and controversy happen.

Impact, variety, and creativity are paramount to AP’s photographic coverage of Wimbledon.  The tournament is one of the few places where players may dive for a shot. It is a must-have photo.  You want bold, tight action, but also wider images that show the surroundings and that this event is played on grass. You also want pictures that capture the games, sets, and matches accurately while elevating the reporting in an original, dynamic and memorable way. 

The Shot is a monthly series showcasing top photojournalism from staff photographers at The Associated Press. Each month, AP photographers will share the stories behind some of their iconic imagery.

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Spotlight is the blog of AP Images, the world’s largest collection of historical and contemporary photos.

Produced by AP News staff. The sponsor was not involved in the creation of this content.

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