Roger Federer, Serena Williams & Naomi Osaka not re-invited; Met Gala 2025 Host Committee suffers from lack of tennis representation

The Host Committee for Met Gala 2025 has been decided and it does not have a single tennis player or anybody from the sport's fraternity. None of Roger Federer, Serena Williams, or Naomi Osaka, who have co-chaired the event, features in the committee for this year's event, which will be held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5.

Basketball star LeBron James is the honorary chair of the event while musician Pharrell Williams, actor Colman Domingo, rapper A$AP Rocky, F1 icon Lewis Hamilton and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour are the co-chairs.

For the second year in a row, there is not a single player in the host committee of the prestigious fashion event, as last year's co-chairs were Anna Wintour, Zendaya, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and rapper Bad Bunny, while TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and JW Anderson founder Jonathan Anderson were the honorary chairs.

Tennis has had a very low representation when it comes to the host committee of the Met Gala. despite the likes of Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova attending the event, among others. In over seven decades of the event, only three tennis players have been co-chairs.

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A look at the tennis players and the editions of the Met Gala when they were the co-chairs

Roger Federer and his wife Mirka at Met Gala 2023 (Image Source: Getty)

Serena Williams was the very first tennis player who was part of the hosting committee at the Met Gala. The year was 2019 and the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion joined Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, and Italian fashion designer Alessandro Michele. Williams has attended several editions of the fashion event, including the last two in 2024 and 2023.

Naomi Osaka co-chaired the Met Gala in 2021 alongside Billie Eilish, Timothee Chalamet, and Amanda Gorman. It was the year when the Japanese won what remains her last Grand Slam till date at the Australian Open after beating Jennifer Brady in the final.

Roger Federer is the last tennis player to co-chair at the Met Gala, doing so in 2023, joining the likes of Anna Wintour, Penelope Cruz, Michaela Coel, and Dua Lipa. This was just a few months after the 20-time Grand Slam singles champion retired from tennis, with his final match taking place at the 2022 Laver Cup.

Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova were among the tennis players who attended last year's Met Gala.