A post-match interview with Venus Williams on Tuesday revealed that the seven-time Grand Slam singles winner is engaged to Andrea Preti, an actor and former model who was seeing her play in person for the first time.
The juicy tidbit emerged as the former world No. 1 celebrated her victory over Peyton Stearns at the DC Open, making Williams, 45, the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova did at age 47 in 2004. Williams had not played a match in well over a year.
An on-court chat with interviewer Rennae Stubbs took a sweet, gossipy turn when she said to Williams, “You’re now an engaged woman. So, how much has Andrea helped you in this comeback? You’re happy, the smile on your face. I mean, how much has he made a difference in your life?”
“Yes, my fiancé is here,” Williams answered, prompting a spectator chorus of “wooooo!”
“He really encouraged me to keep playing,” she added. “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 nine-to-five 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.”
Here’s Preti, 37, watching her post-match press conference:
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And here’s the couple during Milan Fashion Week in February when the two fueled engagement whispers because Williams wore a diamond ring, according to People.
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Their relationship dates back to at least July 2024, when they were photographed on a boat off the Amalfi Coast, the outlet reported previously.
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