When the Metropolitan Museum of Art rolled out its new edition of the Met Gala, the tennis world arrived ready to serve. This year’s dress code was “Fashion is Art,” and three of the sport’s icons, Venus Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Serena Williams, took the creative assignment to heart. Venus, also the event’s co-chair alongside Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Anna Wintour, stood out with a unique piece of ornament that paid tribute to Wimbledon.
Venus Williams Honors Wimbledon As Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka Shine at Met Gala
The 2026 Met Gala took place on Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Serena, who has been attending the event since 2004 and previously co-chaired the Met Gala herself back in 2019, also knows exactly how to command fashion week. Since her inaugural walk up the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she has worn designs by Oscar de la Renta, Gucci, and Versace, among others.
This year, the 23-time Grand Slam champion wore a silver metallic gown by Marc Jacobs with David Yurman jewelry, shoes crafted in gold Italian leather, and an Audemars Piguet watch.
Beyond just wearing uniquely designed clothes, Venus chose her 7th Met Gala look to honor her love for tennis, as she did last year.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion wore a shimmering black Swarovski gown inspired by Robert Pruitt’s painting, “Venus Williams, Double Portrait” (2022). Her outfit was styled by Ronald Burton III, featuring a sculpted bodice, a fit-and-flare silhouette, and a sweeping train trailing behind her. Venus’ entire look caught eyes as she wore a Wimbledon-plate-inspired (Venus Rosewater Dish) neckpiece crafted with Swarovski crystals. Venus is a five-time Wimbledon winner as well, which makes the homage even more special.
“This is actually the Venus Rosewater Dish folded. The Wimbledon trophy. There’s a lot of symbolism. My mom is here. My dad is here. There’s symbolism from my culture in West Africa. The Watts Towers are here,” Venus said at the Met Gala.
Venus’ 2025 Met Gala outfit was also a tennis-inspired spin on the “Tailored for You” dress code, featuring an emerald-green sporty uniform dress with a high-low pleated skirt and a polo top embellished with 1,500 crystals by Lacoste’s Pelagia Kolotouros.
Meanwhile, Osaka stunned the Gala with a Robert Wun Couture ensemble that was quite striking and theatrical.
The 28-year-old utilized the “Fashion is Art” theme in a huge white sculptural hat and matching coat dress, with architectural shoulders, hidden buttons, and a trailing, cape-like skirt studded with wispy red feathers.
That was not all. She removed her coat to reveal a red dress which had a sultry lace-up back and embroidered Swarovski crystals, which took over 659,000 stitches and 3,280 hours of meticulous handiwork. She paired it with sheer opera gloves, a gem-statement ring, and Lagos earrings.
When asked to decode the intense look, the Japanese star revealed it was heavily inspired by the raw, vulnerable concepts of “skin shedding and human anatomy.”
While the Williams sisters and Osaka represented the WTA beautifully, Carlos Alcaraz, who was also invited, was absent. His priority was entirely rehabbing his right wrist injury so he could safely return for Wimbledon, so walking a red carpet in New York simply wasn’t in the cards.
Over the years, the event has hosted the sport’s biggest names, including Roger Federer (who served as a co-chair in 2023), Maria Sharapova, Matteo Berrettini, and Emma Raducanu, who famously attended the 2021 gala just days after her historic US Open victory.
Osaka is actually coming off the Madrid Open after being knocked out by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16 (fourth round). After the Gala, she’s heading back across the Atlantic to compete in the Italian Open in Rome.
