Met Gala: Venus makes Wimbledon tribute, Serena stuns in silver, and Osaka is lady in red

The three tennis greats in attendance at Monday night's Met Gala served an ace when it came to the evening's dress code: "Fashion is Art."

The guest list at this year's annual glitzy New York City event that benefits the museum's Costume Institute featured both Venus and Serena Williams, with the elder of the two sisters serving as an honorary co-chair alongside singer Beyoncé, actor Nicole Kidman, and former longtime editor-in-chief of Vogue Anna Wintour, as well as Naomi Osaka.

And all three women leaned wholly and completely into the dress code, beginning with Venus Williams' custom black Swarovski gown with a pearl neck plate.

The adornment, she said, had special meaning: It was inspired by a 2022 painting of her commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and Wimbledon's famous Venus Rosewater Dish given to the women's champion. Elements in its construction represented her parents, her heritage, and where she was raised.

"There's a lot of symbolism," she said. "My mom is here, my dad is here, there's symbolism from my culture in West Africa, the Watts Towers represent southern California. It just seemed right for this theme."

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion to Vogue that it was an "incredible honor" to serve in the ceremonial role as co-chair and represent tennis, a spot that her sister Serena, Osaka, and Roger Federer held previously.

“When I got the call, I could hardly believe it," she said. "Fashion has always been a huge part of how I express myself, both on and off the court, so being part of an event that celebrates the intersection of art, culture, and identity feels really full circle for me.”

Serena Williams, meanwhile, wore head-to-toe silver by Marc Jacobs and David Yurman jewels.

As Serena wore head-to-toe silver by Marc Jacobs, Osaka teamed up with a designer who already helped her go viral earlier this year. Couturier Robert Wun designed the four-time Grand Slam singles champion a jaw-dropping two-piece ensemble, following the jellyfish-inspired Nike 'fit her made for her during the Australian Open.

Read more: Aryna Sabalenka calls Naomi Osaka’s fantasy Nike kit a “perfect fit” at Australian Open

Appearing at the event for the first time since she co-chaired herself five years ago, the former world No. 1 stepped out first in an ivory coat adorned with red feathers, with seams teasing red crystals beneath. She accessorized with a matching oversized wide-brimmed hat from Awon Golding.

She then shed the coat to reveal a sparkling red dress underneath, with four shades of Swarovski crystals.

Vogue reported that the look took more than 3,200 hours of work to complete, and that it represented "the shedding of the skin and the human anatomy."

Osaka told Vogue that she was "blown away by the whole creation."