The athletes definitely understood the assignment of the 2025 Met Gala. Here are the best looks of the evening from our sports stars.
The 2025 Met Gala is the fashion world’s Olympics. It’s the biggest red carpet event of the year, and fittingly, a few real Olympians and sports icons almost always join the celebration, dressed to impress and ready to serve looks of gold-medal caliber.
This year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,“ was inspired by Monica L. Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. The exhibit at the Met explored the rich history of Black dandyism and the evolution of high-end menswear, focusing on tailoring as a form of identity. And in keeping with this theme, the evening’s dress code was “Tailored for You.”
And the athletes in attendance definitely understood the assignment. From tennis legends to racetrack icons, these stars stepped onto the Met steps in looks that turned heads and raised the bar.
Here are our power rankings of the best athlete looks from the 2025 Met Gala.
Saquon Barkley
Keeping it clean and simple, Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley walked onto the Met Gala red carpet in this Thom Browne look. You can’t go wrong with a classic suit.
Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow, one of the NFL’s most popular quarterbacks, showed up to his first-ever Met Gala in a relaxed-fit gray suit, paired with Gucci sneakers and a stylish pair of shades. Easy on the eyes, and you can see his sporty touch through his accessories, in keeping with the theme, “Tailored for You.”
Sabrina Ionescu
Making her Met Gala debut, WNBA Champion and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu turned heads with a custom outfit designed by Sergio Hudson. Her matching set was inspired by the classic black tailcot tuxedo, but she paired it with a sleek black skirt, and topped it off with beautiful jewels to give it a dazzling touch.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens
A day ahead of their wedding anniversary, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens rocked the Met Gala red carpet as one of the most stylish couples of the evening. Simone wore a custom royal blue minidress with a dramatic train, while her husband Jonathan, went for an all-white suit with subtle blue accents to match. He even added a white fur cape to drive harder into the theme of the event.
Dwyane Wade
One of the most fashionable NBA stars, Dwyane Wade, kept his Met Gala look in theme with a classic black-and-white suit, but gave it a little extra personality with a stunning embroidered vest.
Noah Lyles
Olympian track and field star Noah Lyles is not one to shy away from the spotlight, and his Thom Browne suit at the 2025 Met Gala definitely caught the cameras’ attention. Wearing a Thom Browne suit with a pair of shorts, you can see how Lyles gave his own personal interpretation to the theme of the year, but what really turned heads was the pearls around his neck, which has become a signature look of his.
Norm Nixon
Former NBA All-Star Norm Nixon and his wife, Debbie Allen, were inspired by Denzel Washington’s performance in Othello, and decided to rock custom ensembles by Paul Tazewell for the 2025 Met Gala, with Nixon decked out in an all-white look.
Jalen Hurts
The New York rain wasn’t enough to stop Jalen Hurts and his wife, Bryonna, from rocking their Met Gala looks. The Philadelphia quarterback walked the red carpet in a black velvet suit, detailed with intricate floral details, and paired with a black beret.
Justin Jefferson
Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson arguably had one of the most interesting and eye-catching suits all evening. Wearing an oversized gray ensemble, completed with a monochromatic floral broach, Jefferson nailed the theme while adding his own sense of style to it.
Sha’Carri Richardson
Spring has arrived in New York, and if anyone at the 2025 Met Gala showed up spring-ready, it’s American track and field sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson. Wearing a floral-inspired look designed by Vaneltino.
Angel Reese
WNBA star Angel Reese attended her second Met Gala, and this time, she was even a part of the host committee. In keeping with this year’s theme, Reese wore a two-piece suit-inspired black dress, designed by Thom Browne. In her outfit, the devil is in the details — the corseted bottom half of her top, the striking white collar detail, and the lovely jewels she paired with the look.
Serena Williams
You can always count on Serena Williams to serve incredible looks at the Met Gala. This year, the tennis legend sported a cool blue off-shoulder gown, made all the more dramatic with a draping silver cover that trailed behind her as she walked the carpet.
Breanna Stewart
Three-time WNBA champion Breanna Stewart took the assignment seriously. Wearing an all-white ensemble, custom-made by Sergio Hudson, honored this year’s theme rather elegantly as she walked the carpet with a floor-length coat and a fedora hat for an altogether striking look.
Venus Williams
A true definition of sport meets style — Venus Williams turned up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Met Gala in a deep green dress designed by Lacoste. With a bedazzled collar detail, a pleated mini skirt, extended at the back to give the look an elegant lift, Venus’ look is reminiscent of something she would wear on the court, just turned up a few notches to make it red-carpet-ready.
Lewis Hamilton
As one of the co-chairs of the event, of course, F1 icon Lewis Hamilton had to take some time off the track to celebrate Black designers. Wearing a custom Wales Bonner suit, which took five months to craft, his look was inspired by African culture, as he shared: “We’ve got-obviously, the shells represent currency, ivory represents purity, Grace [Wales Bonner] is very, very much into spirituality, and we really wanted to pay homage to the culture, particularly from our culture of Africa, by the power of adornment.”
Who among the athletes at the 2025 Met Gala stunned you the most?
Banner images from F1, WNBA, NFL on X, and Serena Williams on Instagram.