US Open photographer grabs incredible one-in-a-million shot

Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. And sometimes, you get really lucky.

Italian photographer Ray Giubilo experienced just that on Sunday at the US Open. During two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini’s first round match against Destanee Aiava, Giubilo snapped a once-in-a-lifetime shot that later went viral.

The picture shows Paolini preparing for a forehand stroke. The angle of the photograph, however, places the racket directly in front of her face, obscuring it from view. But incredibly, Paolini’s Yonex-branded tennis racket perfectly framed her eyes within the logo’s two circles, with her nose and mouth in the triangle below. Yonex couldn’t have asked for a better advertisement if it tried.

While there’s certainly an immense amount of skill involved when it comes to sports photography, there’s also an element of just being at the right place at the right time. Some of the best shots are happy accidents, and it’s great when those accidents happen.

Paolini would win her match over Aiava in straight sets, advancing to the second round on Wednesday where she will face Iva Jović.