Serena Williams has found the most stylish host at the ESPY Awards.

The tennis legend has won the ESPY Awards 12 times, but had never attended the event until tonight, when she took to the red carpet outside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 11, wearing a Giorgio Armani Privé appeared in a custom-made black gown by Giorgio Armani Privé. The sculptural bra of her dress was fully embroidered in shimmering gold, and the train was coated in gold Swarovski crystals. Together, they gave her black column gown a sophisticated layered effect.

The back of the gown followed the embellishment of the front, with a V-shaped cut silhouette. The diamond-like sparkle of the dress was matched with star-like drop earrings that dusted her curls.

Williams walked the carpet solo, then joined her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and her first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. Alexis wore a sweet, sparkly pink dress and metallic gold sandals, while her father wore a black suit and blue Nike sneakers.

If fashion could win gold, this dress would be a contender. Williams' look was understated yet glamorous, the perfect gown to command the theater as host while shining the spotlight on the night's honorees. Her blonde Old Hollywood-style waves accentuated the elegance of the dress.

Williams highlighted the gold details of her dress with an equally medal-worthy manicure by nail artist Slaynin Penn. Her fingers were polished in the same gold chrome polish as the train of her dress. Penn said in a statement, "Since she has so many looks throughout the night, we wanted to focus on her red carpet looks for inspiration."

Serena Williams' relationship with style is legendary. Her custom-made Nike outfits on the court as she racked up Grand Slam titles laid the foundation for today's tennis fashion trends (and inspired some of Zendaya's Challengers Press Tour wardrobe). tennis in September 2022. Her affinity for pushing the boundaries of sports style has not diminished since her retirement.

Williams has recently been playing with corsets and color trends in her formal style. Earlier this month, she attended the Essence Festival in New Orleans, where she hit the carpet in a sexy black midi dress by Dolce & Gabbana. A few weeks earlier, she stopped by the Tribeca Film Festival for the premiere of her documentary In The Arena: Serena Williams appeared in a pink corset dress by the same Italian house.

Tonight, Williams will preside over a ceremony honoring those who have made an impact through their sporting achievements over the past year and related charitable efforts. Her friends Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will also attend, and Prince Harry will receive the Pat Tillman Distinguished Service Award. (There has been some criticism of the appointment, but the former royals reportedly do not care.) In sports, NCAA-turned-WNBA player Caitlin Clark is the most nominated player.

The guest with the most costume changes is undoubtedly Williams. Her team hinted that she would have several looks throughout the night. The Armani Privé custom is off to a sparkling start.