Italian photographer Ray Giubilo captured the photo of a lifetime on Sunday at the U.S. Open.
Giubilo was on hand to watch fellow Italian Jasmine Paolini take on Australia's Destanee Aiava in the opening round of the tournament. The seventh-seeded Paolini won the match in straight sets, but that isn't what we'll remember from the match.
On Monday, Giubilo posted a photo of Paolini to his Instagram account, and it's one of the coolest sports images we've seen this year. It features Paolini's eyes, nose, and mouth lined up perfectly with the design on her racket.
The photo is below.
That's just perfect timing and a perfect angle of the shot.
Giubilo is a staff photographer for Il Tennis Italiano and has a ton of amazing shots documented on his Instagram account.
As for Paolini, she'll face American Iva Jovic on Wednesday in the second round. The 29-year-old Italian reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 2024, after coming up short in the final at both the French Open and Wimbledon. She's still searching for her first grand slam title.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Italian Photographer Captures Coolest Image of the U.S. Open.