Picture this: Our photographers’ favourite London 2026 images
We asked our photographers to choose their best images from London 2026. Here’s what they picked.
June 5, 2026 | Paul Stimpson
The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 Presented by ACN generated thousands of breathtaking images.
From the athleticism, skill and concentration of the players to the passion and excitement on the faces of the supporters, from the biggest stars to the biggest stories and from the razzmatazz of the arena to the relative quiet behind the scenes, our photographers captured the lot.
The scale of the event means selecting the best of the best is a tough choice – so we thought we’d ask the photographers themselves what they considered to be their finest work from Copper Box Arena and OVO Arena Wembley.
Here, Michael Loveder, Alan Man and Sam Mellish choose six of the best from among their London 2026 portfolios, alongside a brief explanation of what makes them special.
Michael Loveder’s choice
Needs no introduction, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, African No 1 – Power and PerseveranceJapan’s Hina Hayata fully-focussed on the job in handEli Ho New Zealand’s 14-year-old rising star demonstrates the art of using long pimplesKim Nayeong of Korea Republic with a little perspiration to go with the inspirationFlavien Coton in mono – capturing the approach to one of his blistering backhandsAbdel-Kader Salifou of Benin carefully watches the ball
Alan Man’s choice
The tears flow from Nicole Arlia who sealed Italy’s 3-0 win over group favourites Croatia having faced three match pointsHana Goda shows her opponent she means business with the “side tongue of concentration”A bemused Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico on her way to defeat by Austria’s Sofia PolcanovaElla Pashley leads the cheering for a young England benchMiwa Harimoto makes it 10 individual wins for the Championships against Wang ManyuShunsuke Togami goes aerial but can’t prevent defeat in the final
Sam Mellish’s choice
It’s always good to see the home nations do well. Charlotte Carey celebrates after Wales beat Australia on day 4 of the group stages at Copper Box Arena to secure Wales a place in the final 32 at OVO Arena WembleyPlaying with multiple exposure is fun as it’s always a touch unpredictable. Here, Marcos Madrid of Mexico lines up a serveOne giant leap for Sam Walker of England as the host nation play Sweden in Stage 1a at OVO Arena WembleyMy favourite photos tend to be ones which tell a story. Here, Anton Kallberg of Sweden jumps for joy, as do his team mates, following a 3-2 victory over China during Stage 1a at WembleySome players simply stand out from the crowd. Hugo Calderano of Brazil steps into the light during the Round of 32This photo is a slight contradiction to how I would normally compose a photo. The background is rather messy and there are distractions in the foreground, but I’m taken by Patrick Franziska of Germany’s stance. He looks more like his lining up for a martial arts fight than a battle at the table
