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Met Gala 2024: Reilly Opelka Lost for Words as He Swoons Over Venus Williams Oozing Class in a Shiny Attire

Published 05/07/2024, 7:50 AM EDT

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Each time Venus Williams and Serena Williams step out for an event, they make a fashion statement. And this time it was at Met Gala 2024. Tennis divas glittered at ‘Fashion’s Biggest Night Out’ in New York City! The Met Gala combined fashion and stories as the theme: ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.’ The other stars who graced the events were Maria Sharapova, actress Nicole Kidman, models Gigi Haddid and Kim Kardashian. Though all were beautifully dressed, when Venus stepped on the red carper, the crowd went crazy and left one person particularly in awe.

The older Williams wore a dazzling custom-made Marc Jacobs dress, with her strapless look featuring a sheer panel with mirrored paillettes throughout the costume. She opted for minimal jewelry yet glittered like a bright star in a dark night sky. As usual, one of the first people in her comment section was ATP star Reilly Opelka with hearts in his eyes!

Although Williams has vehemently denied the dating rumors surrounding these two, Opelka’s comments continue to churn the rumor mill. In this instance, Venus Williams put up a few glimpses of her stunning look from the event on Instagram. Opelka didn’t waste any time to jump into the comment section with a, “Wowowow.” And this wasn’t the first time.

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Both tennis stars have often showcased their support for each other in person or through social media interactions. They share a common love for collecting art and have been linked together since 2021. But later that year, in a Q&A session on Instagram, Venus dashed fans’ hopes of the dating rumors by saying, “No @ReillyOpelka shot me down.”

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While Venus Williams once attended a Reilly Opelka match in 2021, the player ha been on hiatus this year. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old tennis star has often publicly credited Venus Williams for teaching him a lot of things in his career.

Once during an interview with Inside Tennis in 2021, Opelka said, “She’s an absolute bad*ss. I learned more from her than any other active player. She’s brilliant – a fierce competitor. She works extremely differently than anyone else. The great ones think differently.

Reilly Opelka also revealed that he loves spending time with Venus Williams. According to the 26-year-old, no one can match her sense of humor and insane competitive nature. “If it weren’t for Serena she’d be the greatest woman player of all time,” Opelka gushed.

Interestingly, the two are still active players but have never appeared on the court together. While Opelka could play doubles, Williams is not so sure. To the idea of mixed doubles, the 43-year-old said, “That would be a lot of fun but you know Reilly should focus on the singles. I am actually retired from doubles and I keep saying it.”

Doesn’t seem like a future either on or off the court is in the cards for this duo. In the meantime, Venus Williams is focused on her off-court pursuits. And where one Williams sister goes, the other usually follows.

Even Serena Williams is mesmerized by sister Venus

Both sisters have been invited to the Met Gala since the 2000s. Serena Williams debuted at this red-carpet event by donning a beautiful jewel-toned purple dress in 2004. Meanwhile, Venus Williams’ first Met Gala appearance was back in 2008, when she wore a bronze Carolina Hererra gown. Each year when the Williams sisters walk the red carpet at the Met Gala, she have turned heads. Its fascinating to see how even after so many years, they are making stunning appearances with their gorgeous outfits!

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This year Serena Williams wore a custom gown by Balenciaga. Her enchanting outfit was made of gold-coated silk taffeta and featured a long sash forming a train. It took close to 150 hours to design the 25 meters laminated taffeta. She paired the look with black opera-length gloves that matched her pointy shoes. Her glittering golden rings accompanied by a beautiful watch were the real show-stopper!

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Although Venus Williams had a small wardrobe malfunction with her ‘Fragile’ outfit, it didn’t take her long to get the attention of her little sister to her beautiful dress. Serena Williams commented, “gimmie gimme Timmie” on Venus Williams’ recent Instagram post.

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Another star whose costume caught attention was of Maria Sharapova. She was dressed in tennis ball chartreuse. She was spotted clicking several pictures with the Williams sisters at the event. However, between the two Williams sisters, whose do you think stole the show in NYC this time? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Sayantan Roy

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Sayantan Roy is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports, who crafts tennis tales that not only capture the game's essence but also reflect his creative genius. As a believer in unbiased journalism, Sayantan, a fan of both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, loves to fuse the world of such tennis rivals and present balanced copies as fan reaction pieces. Engaged in sports since college, he brings that passion to life.
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Edited by:

Arunima Bhanot