Venus Williams confirms engagement to Italian actor Andrea Preti
Tennis legend Venus Williams is officially engaged! The 45-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion confirmed her engagement to Italian actor and producer Andrea Preti, 37, after her first singles match in over a year on July 22, 2025.
Following her match against Peyton Stearns at the Rock Creek Tennis Center, Williams was asked about her relationship during a post-game interview, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
"My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing," Williams revealed. She added that Preti’s unwavering support motivated her comeback to the court:
"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? It’s like a 9-to-5 job, but you’re running the whole time, lifting weights, and just dying — then you repeat it the next day. 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 linked in July 2024, when they were spotted enjoying a boating trip along the Amalfi Coast in Nerano, Italy. Engagement rumors began swirling in February 2025, after Williams was seen wearing a diamond ring during a tennis training session in Rome. The speculation intensified when the couple attended the Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2025 runway show during Milan Fashion Week, where Williams proudly sported a sparkling square-cut diamond ring.
Andrea Preti, a former model turned actor and producer, is best known for his work on the Italian TV series A Professor and the film One More Day. While the couple has kept their relationship largely private, their public appearances in Italy and during fashion events have fueled media attention.
Williams, who previously dated model Elio Pis in 2012, has often been candid about her views on relationships. In a 2021 Cosmopolitan cover story, she said:
"I like my life and I don't want to change it for any reason. I'm not desperate, and my friends don’t believe me when I say that."
By 2022, she revealed to Glamour UK that she was open to finding love when the right person came along:
"When life changes, you've got to know when to change. You can't hold on to either a relationship or the singleness."
This engagement marks a new chapter for Williams, whose last tournament appearance was at the Miami Open in March 2024. With Preti by her side, the tennis icon seems ready for both a personal and professional comeback.
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