Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal, 37, reaffirmed at the end of September that 2024 would “perhaps” be the year of his retirement, after eight months of absence. A career crowned with 22 Grand Slam titles including 14 Roland-Garros. Photographer Corinne Dubreuil follows the exploits of the tennis player for twenty years. A few days before the start of the Paris-Bercy Masters, she brings together her best photos of the Majorcan in a book entitled Iconic Nadal, published by Amphorawhich is scheduled for release this Thursday.
She explains to 20 minutes the making of a photo taken during Rafael Nadal’s victory against the Swede Robin Söderling in the final of Roland-Garros, in Paris, on June 6, 2010. It also returns to the profession of photographer in sport and distils a small anecdote about… Beyoncé and Jay-Z seen during a US Open match in New York.
What do we see in the image?
“It is an image which transmits an emotion, it symbolizes a fraction of a second which shows the deliverance of Rafael Nadal at the moment of victory, explains Corinne Dubreuil to 20 minutes. I took a series of photos at this moment and this one tells a story where we immediately understand what is happening. » The photographer specializing in tennis details that the Spaniard “barely touches the ground, like his racket, his legs are still in the air, we see his arms outstretched, his neck… And in the background his opponent, head down, who approaches the net to shake his hand.” Robin Söderling lost in three straight sets: 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. For her, “it’s one of the most beautiful photos of a Rafa victory at Roland”. While recognizing a small part of luck because she was “in the pit” of the Philippe-Chatrier court. A space dedicated to photographers with a small window at ground level. “I knew there was only a one in five or six chance that something would happen in front of me. He could be on the left, on the right or at the net… And there, he wins and lies down in front of me! I was happy to have taken this risk. »
What is the shooting context?
“When I cover Roland-Garros, I generally work exclusively for the French Tennis Federation,” explains Corinne Dubreuil. There are four or five of us photographers around the field and, before the final, we make a sort of battle plan where everyone has their position. This limits the risk a little because we know that a colleague will necessarily have a good photo with a different angle. » She remembers: “When Rafa is about to serve for the match on that side, I say to myself, I’m going there, because I still have a chance of having something. If he had been on the other side of the net, I wouldn’t have positioned myself there. » The pit is very popular during the match for “great actions” and “close-ups” but is often empty at the time of the match point because the risk factor is higher there. She gives a little advice: “To be sure to have something clean, the best position is at a height to capture a dirt background and be almost sure to have a good photo. » In the low position, the photographer explains that “it’s more complicated because the background may not be very pretty, the subject has their back or is raising their arms”.
Concerning the equipment used for this image, she confides: “I told myself that he could win in front of me as well as at the net so I took a versatile lens, a 70-200 mm zoom” allowing him to have a fairly wide angle. open in the event of a victory in front of her, but also to have the possibility of “tightening up” if the Spaniard was at the net. She concludes: “There, he lays down at the baseline, it was just perfect. »
The extra anecdote
During matches at Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open), there are often people in the stands. At this mention, she cuts: “For a photographer, I’m not very physiognomist! (smile) » In New York, she tells us that she found herself right in front of Beyoncé and Jay-Z who were in the front row of the audience… And it was thanks to the alerts of a journalist friend, located a little further away, that she was able to take a photo of them after moving around a bit! A photo that was published everywhere even if she wasn’t the only one to capture it. However, the heart of his job remains focusing on the players and the match because “transmitting emotion through a photo is what galvanizes me the most”.
Regarding capturing images in sport, Corinne Dubreuil advises photographers to know the activity and the subjects they wish to immortalize. She adds: “When there are new tennis players, I spend time observing them, watching how they react, their facial expressions, which then allows me to anticipate their actions a little. »
On her relationship with Rafael Nadal, she explains that she has met him for twenty years on the ATP circuit. “We greet each other, we can kiss each other, but he remains a tennis player and I am a photographer, and that doesn’t go much further,” while confiding the “pleasant” side of him “recognizing” her. In response to a reminder about Rafael Nadal’s “mimics”, she replied: “For me he is one of the most photogenic players, on each ball strike, there are things to do, the expression of face, his body… And his routines! Reposition your bottles in place, drink in a certain order, don’t walk on the lines, put your bandana back on systematically in the same way, that’s funny! And very graphic! » She continues: “He is someone who sweats a lot… And when there is beautiful light, I love taking close portraits with the drops of sweat. » She concludes: “In fact, I never get bored when he is on the pitch. We miss him there and I hope we will have the opportunity to see him again. » The 37-year-old Spanish tennis legend has not played since January 2023. After two operations to treat a hip injury, he has set himself the goal of returning in 2024. A year which “perhaps” will be the one of his retirement.