Venus Williams stepped out with her new husband, Andrea Preti, as she headlined the sports stars taking the Met Gala by storm on Monday evening. The tennis legend, 45, and her beau made their Met Gala debut as a married couple when they walked the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner, who was one of the co-chairs for this year's fashion extravaganza, opted for a bold look in a custom light-reflecting crystal black gown by Swarovski with a pearl-adorned neck plate. In keeping with the evening's theme, Costume Art, Williams' curve-hugging gown was reportedly inspired by her painting commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, according to Vogue.
Williams was one of the first to hit the red carpet, walking with Preti, who looked dashing in a black tuxedo and burgundy bow tie with a matching pocket square. As one of four co-chairs, alongside Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Anna Wintour, Williams headlined the sports stars in attendance.
She was joined by a host of fellow sport stars at the star-studded gala, such as controversial Winter Olympics star Eileen Gu, who opted for a pearlescent bubble dress. Gu, who sparked controversy during the recent Winter Olympics, opted for a pearlescent bubble dress as she hit the red carpet. The San Francisco-born star came under scrutiny in February for choosing to represent China, the country of her mother's birth, instead of the United States.
American figure skating hero Alysa Liu, who won two gold medals at the 2026 Games, turned heads in a red ruffled dress while sporting her trademark hairstyle. Her appearance at the Met Gala comes after being named a house ambassador for Louis Vuitton, who dressed her for the event.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka also made a splash, stunning in two separate outfits. After arriving in a sleek white ensemble featuring a long white gown with red feather details, she walked up the steps before removing the dress and headgear to reveal a stunning sculpted red dress hidden beneath, drawing attention from media and fellow attendees.
Elsewhere, WNBA star Paige Bueckers turned heads in a paint-splattered suit for the glitzy New York gala. US skiing icon Lindsey Vonn took her first steps without crutches since her horrific Olympics crash as she walked the carpet. Though her beaded white mermaid gown, which took 4,000 hours to make, caught attention, the most striking aspect was the lack of crutches. Dressed by Thom Browne, the American fashion house designed a custom cane for Vonn to use for the occasion. Her Olympic comeback was derailed in February by a nasty crash on the slopes at the Milan-Cortina Games that forced her to have eight surgeries. Vonn suffered a complex fracture, facing the threat of losing her leg, after falling during the women's downhill skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
