Venus Williams has confirmed she is engaged to Italian actor and producer Andrea Preti. She shared the news on Tuesday after winning her first singles match in more than a year.
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The announcement came during a post-match interview following her victory at the DC Open. At 45, Williams became the oldest woman in over 20 years to win a WTA singles match.
During the interview, she was asked how Preti has impacted her comeback and overall happiness.
Williams responded without hesitation. “My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing.”
She explained how close she came to stepping away from the game.
“There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill,” she said. “Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? You guys don’t know how much work goes into this, like it’s 9 to 5 except you’re running the whole time. Lifting weights and just like dying, and then you repeat it the next day. So he encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful to be here. He’s never seen me play.”
Williams and Preti were first seen together in July 2024 while vacationing in Nerano, Italy, where they were photographed on a boat off the Amalfi Coast.
By early 2025, rumors of an engagement surfaced. In February, Williams was seen wearing a diamond ring outside a training session in Rome. That same month, she and Preti attended the Dsquared2 Fall Winter 2025 show during Milan Fashion Week. She wore a square-cut diamond on a pavé band, different from the earlier ring, further fueling speculation.
Although the couple has kept their relationship out of the spotlight, Williams’ confirmation now puts to rest months of rumors.
Her next match at the DC Open is scheduled for July 24th, as she continues her remarkable return to professional tennis.
