Sarah Stier/Getty Images

From the photographer, Sarah Stier:

I always feel so much pressure at the end of a championship tennis match because there are so many possible outcomes for how and where the winning athlete will celebrate. And since it’s a championship, you obviously want to get it right!

I hoped Emma would win on the side of the court where her player’s box was because during most of her previous matches, she had been reacting toward her family and coaches rather than toward any specific areas of the crowd. I didn’t know if she would raise her hands in celebration, if she would fall to the court, or if she would react at all.

I chose a spot to photograph that was elevated directly behind her player’s box, and lucky enough for me, she fell to the court, smiling, looking right towards her team. I was just so happy to have captured that smile because it was so brief — she quickly covered her face with her hands.