Michelle Obama step inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night and all eyes shift. The tennis for US Open women’s semifinals bin already big, but Obama still deliver one standout look among crowd. She show for Sept. 10 to watch Coco Gauff battle Elena Rybakina for three sets.
For one of tournament biggest nights, Obama no wear traditional tennis white. She choose something bolder: long-sleeved Chanel shirtdress wey get vertical red, white and navy stripes. Gold buttons run down front. She keep rest of styling polished and simple with gold jewelry. She finish am with baby blue manicure and blonde-highlighted braids swept into bun.
The striped Chanel dress fit event well. US Open don build its own fashion identity, somewhere between country-club polish and New York street style. Ralph Lauren staples, tennis whites and designer accessories fill grounds for Flushing throughout tournament. Obama go another direction. Instead of dressing literally for tennis, she lean into color and print. The floor-skimming silhouette and graphic stripes make the Chanel piece easy to spot from stands.
She no dey alone for style. Ciara, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley, Jutta Leerdam, Chloë Grace Moretz, SZA and Shonda Rhimes na among other notable names wey attend Day 12 of tournament.
Obama appearance come on one of most consequential nights of women tournament. She watch as Gauff take opening set against Rybakina before Kazakh star rally for 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory. The win send Rybakina into Saturday championship match against Aryna Sabalenka and clinch Rybakina world No. 1 ranking when new rankings release.
For Obama, e also be return to tournament she don attend before. She bin dey US Open in 2011, when she visit as part of initiative wey encourage children to dey physically active and meet Serena Williams. Fifteen years later, setting familiar, but fashion moment entirely different.
This time, Obama dey there as spectator on semifinal night, and her graphic Chanel dress make sure nobody need struggle to spot her.
