Venus Williams Explains the Meaning Behind Her 6% Met Earrings

When Venus Williams stepped onto the 2024 Met Gala red carpet in a custom ivory guipure lace gown, the tennis legend turned business mogul drew immediate praise for her elegant look. But it was a tiny, subtle detail on her jewelry that carried the most powerful message of the night: a pair of gold drop earrings engraved with the number "6%".

Williams has never been one to shy away from using her platform for activism, from fighting for equal pay in professional tennis alongside her sister Serena to investing in underrepresented founders through her venture firm Seven Six. But the meaning behind her Met Gala earrings, she explained in a post-event interview, highlights a persistent gap in sports equity that often flies under the radar.

What Do the 6% Met Earrings Symbolize?

The custom-designed 14k gold earrings, which Williams paired with a matching tennis bracelet, feature a discreet raised "6%" engraving on the drop. Unlike the bold, statement-making looks often seen at the Met Gala, Williams chose subtlety for a reason.

The Statistic Behind the Sparkle

"The 6% refers to the percentage of women holding executive leadership roles across the global sports industry, per the 2023 Women’s Sports Foundation annual report," Williams told Vogue. "We’ve made so much progress on pay equity for athletes, but off the court, the people making decisions about league rules, team ownership, and broadcast deals are still 94% male. That number hasn’t changed in 10 years."

Williams noted that the statistic hits close to home: despite her own success as a 7-time Grand Slam champion and founder of interior design firm V Starr Interiors, she still faces barriers when advocating for diversity in sports spaces.

Venus’s Broader Advocacy for Women in Sports

The 6% earrings are just the latest example of Williams using her influence to push for systemic change. Her advocacy work includes:

• Co-founding Seven Six, a venture capital firm that prioritizes investments in women-led and minority-led sports tech startups
• Lobbying for the 2022 Equal Pay for Team USA Act, which mandates equal compensation for men’s and women’s national sports teams
• Partnering with the Women’s Sports Foundation to launch a mentorship program for women pursuing careers in sports administration
• Regularly speaking at industry conferences about the business case for diverse leadership teams

Why the Met Gala Was the Perfect Platform

Williams intentionally chose the Met Gala to debut the earrings, noting the event’s unique mix of attendees from every major industry.

"The Met Gala brings together leaders from fashion, entertainment, tech, and sports — all people who have the power to shift hiring practices and investment priorities," she said. "I didn’t want to make a loud statement. I wanted to plant a seed. If 1% of the people who saw those earrings go back to their companies and think about how to get that 6% number up, that’s progress."

Public Reaction to the Subtle Statement

Social media users quickly spotted the engraving, with the earrings trending on X (formerly Twitter) within hours of the red carpet livestream. One viral post read: "Venus Williams just did more for women in sports in 10 seconds of photos than most brands do in a year. The 6% earrings are the real highlight of the Met Gala."

Industry insiders also praised the move. "Venus has always been ahead of the curve on equity issues," said Women’s Sports Foundation CEO Danette Leighton. "Using a high-profile event like the Met Gala to highlight a overlooked statistic is exactly the kind of creative advocacy we need to drive change."

Conclusion

Williams’ 6% earrings serve as a quiet but powerful reminder that sports equity is about more than just on-court pay — it’s about who holds the power to shape the future of the industry. As Williams put it: "Change starts with awareness. If we don’t talk about the 6%, it’ll stay 6% forever. I’m just using my platform to start the conversation."