Venus Williams just made a huge statement both on and off the tennis court. After clinching a historic victory at the DC Open, the tennis icon revealed she is officially engaged to Italian actor Andrea Preti.
Following her straight-sets win over Peyton Stearns, 6-3, 6-4, the 45-year-old legend became the second-oldest woman ever to claim a singles win at a tour-level event. But the night didn’t end with just a trophy-worthy performance. During a courtside interview with ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs, Williams casually confirmed her relationship status had taken a major turn.
“My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” she shared with a smile. “There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. 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.” She continued, “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.”
Get this, Williams and Preti, known for his work in Temptation and My Beloved Enemy, were first spotted together in July 2024 while vacationing in Nerano, Italy. By early 2025, fans started noticing a diamond ring on her finger, fueling engagement rumors that have now been confirmed.
The news caught many by surprise. Williams has previously spoken about her independence and lack of pressure to conform to traditional expectations around relationships. In a 2021 interview with Cosmopolitan, she said, “I’m not desperate. You might feel this way, but I don’t. I promise you I don’t.”
In 2022, she opened up further to Glamour UK, saying, “It’s really easy to get stuck in a single life and sometimes, at least for me, harder to get out. It makes you think about yourself and what you want and how to behave.”
Now, with yet another major win under her belt and a new chapter ahead in her personal life, Venus Williams continues to rewrite what it means to thrive on her own terms. Good for her!