Michelle Obama and Gabby Bell
Who is Gabby Bell? Learn all there is to know about the podcaster and internet celebrity.
The opening night of the 2023 US Open kicked off this week with a powerful ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of equal pay at the tournament. Michelle Obama was sat next to teenager Gabby Bell during the ceremony, and fans were keen to know more about the youngster.
The stars were out for the opening night of the 2023 US Open on Monday in Flushing Meadows, New York. The likes of Michelle and Barack Obama, Anna Wintour, Alec Baldwin, Mike Tyson and Danny DeVito were in attendance at Coco Gauff’s opening match against qualifier Laura Siegemund on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
To celebrate the anniversary, Michelle Obama introduced tennis legend Billie Jean King during the on-court ceremony. The 1972 champion famously managed to rally her fellow female players to threaten a boycott of the next year’s tournament unless women got the same pay as men. She has been a champion of women’s rights and equality in sports for decades.
During the ceremony, Michelle Obama was joined by 15-year old Gabby Bell, who sat next to the former first lady. Later on in the evening, Bell was photographed alongside Chairman of the Board and President of the United States Tennis Association, Brian Hainline, Billie Jean King, Michelle Obama, and American singer, songwriter, Sara Bareilles, who performed on the night.
As it turns out, Bell is a budding tennis player at the Kings County Tennis League.
KCTL uses tennis for youth development & community building in underserved Brooklyn, NY neighbourhoods. In 2021, KCTL shared a post about Gabby, who reportedly joined the tennis league in 2018 aged 13. They wrote: ‘Over the past three years, she [Gabby] has transformed from a shy girl to a leader on and off the court – even becoming the captain of her middle school tennis team.
Her mentor described Gabby as a “fun, determined, kind young woman, on and off the court, whose potential is boundless.” Gabby, who is also a podcaster, is an exceptional role model for the KCTL community and recently received the 2021 Breakpoint Award, KCTL’s most prestigious annual recognition and an honor that demonstrates her leadership abilities.
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