Serena Williams is not only one of the biggest tennis players of all time but also among the top fashion trendsetters and icons in sports and beyond. Over the years, she has often flaunted her exceptional clothing sense on various occasions, including at the mother of all fashion extravaganzas, the Met Gala.
The American tennis legend made her debut at the Met Gala way back in 2004 and has showcased outfits from the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Versace since then. In recent years, Williams has often walked the Met Gala red carpet with her husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
With that said, here’s a list of the top five best-looking outfits worn by the 23-time Grand Slam champion at the annual fundraiser organized to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City:
#5 The golden gown in 2024
Serena Williams turned heads at the 2024 Met Gala in a metallic-gold Balenciaga gown with a long train. The event celebrated the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” with “The Garden of Time,” an intersection of time and beauty, as the dress code for the guests.
She paired her glowing gown with a custom Jennifer Behr gold floral statement hairpiece and matching earrings. The 42-year-old covered her hand with embroidered black opera gloves adorned with Swarovski crystal accents, matching heels, and wore a gold watch worth over $270,000.
#4 Pregnancy reveal in 2023
Serena Williams was accompanied by her husband, Alexis Ohanian, on the Met Gala red carpet in 2023 and took the opportunity to announce that she was pregnant with her second child. Williams was dressed in a black form-fitting gown with a tulle mermaid tail custom-designed by Gucci that showed off her baby bump.
She glammed up her outfit with rhinestones and a waterfall pearl necklace. The theme for the 2023 Met Gala was dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld, the late German designer who served as Chanel’s creative director.
#3 Feather cape in 2021
Serena Williams was definitely at her best at the 2021 Met Gala, held in September that year and not in the regular May timeframe due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She lit up the red carpet at the 2021 Met Gala with a custom Gucci silver bodysuit filled with red stars. The look was completed with a long superhero-inspired pink feather cape.
The American’s diamond jewels came from the Serena Williams Jewelry Queen of Your Court couture. The theme for fashion’s biggest night in 2021 was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”
#2 Sneaker show in 2019
Serena Williams had the honor of co-chairing the 2019 Met Gala alongside Anna Wintour, Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, Harry Styles, and Lady Gaga. The theme for the event was “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” inspired by Susan Sontag’s iconic 1964 essay, “Notes on “Camp.”
Williams fashioned a bright yellow Atelier Versace gown embellished with pink flowers. The most iconic part of her outfit was her footwear as she forgo heels for a pair of highlighter green Volt Off-White x Air Force 1 Nike sneakers.
#1 Baby bump in 2017
2017 was Serena Williams’ first Met Gala in six years and her first public appearance after announcing that she was pregnant with her first child, Olympia. She fully embraced her maternity on the red carpet and wore a bright, emerald dress custom-designed by Atelier Versace to highlight her baby bump.
Williams paired her outfit with XIV Karats emerald drop earrings. The theme for the 2017 Met Gala honored legendary Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo and was named “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between.”
