A photograph of Naomi Osaka from last year's Australian Open won gold in the World Sports Photography Awards tennis category.
Osaka won her fourth Grand Slam title at the 2021 Australian Open. She overcame the American Jennifer Brady in the final, whose run to the final was a surprise. That did not stop the Japanese star from outplaying her to secure the title.
One of Osaka's matches during last year's Australian Open was against Ons Jabeur in the third round. After a dominant performance at the John Cain Arena, she overcame the Tunisian 6-3, 6-2.
However, that match is not just remembered for Osaka's victory. It was also where the butterfly picture of Osaka was taken, subsequently being chosen as the best tennis photo of the year.
David Gray took the photo. It beautifully captured a moment when a butterfly landed on the tip of Osaka's fingers while she was standing behind the baseline between a point against Jabeur.
The photograph can be seen below. It was chosen to represent both the beauty and the power of sport. The picture is also unique because its focal point is Osaka's shadow.
Due to the incident's notoriety, Osaka wore shoes that contained the words "butterfly shoes" at this year's Australian Open. That photograph winning the award was not surprising due to its originality. It would be tough to recreate a photo like that.
The silver and bronze categories were both photographs of Rafael Nadal. The picture that won bronze is similar to Osaka's because it has a butterfly on the Spaniard's fingers. However, it does not contain Nadal's shadow.
Osaka is preparing to return to tennis during the North American hard court stretch, where she has had success in the past. She hopes to reignite her season after some difficult results and injury woes.