Key Points:
- Venus Williams revealed her engagement to Andrea Preti after her first singles match in over a year.
- She praised Preti for motivating her to keep training during tough times.
- The pair kept their romance low-key but sparked rumours as far back as July 2024.
Venus reveals engagement after emotional match
Venus Williams has confirmed she is engaged to Italian actor and producer Andrea Preti.
The tennis legend, 45, shared the exciting news after her singles comeback on Tuesday, July 22. It was her first official match in over a year.
During a post-match interview, Rennae Stubbs asked about her love life, saying, “You are now an engaged woman. How has Andrea helped you in this comeback?”
With a smile, Venus said, “My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing.”
‘He pushed me through tough days’ – Venus
Venus opened up about how hard tennis training can be.
“There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and chill,” she admitted.
“Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? You guys don’t know how much work goes into this,” she added, describing the 9-to-5 grind of workouts and weightlifting.
She said Andrea’s support made the difference: “He encouraged me to get through this and it’s wonderful to be here. He’s never seen me play.”
Romance timeline: From Amalfi Coast to diamond ring
Although they kept things private, Venus and Andrea were first seen together on a boat ride in Nerano, Italy, in July 2024.
By February 2025, the couple sparked engagement rumours when Venus was spotted wearing a sparkly ring at a tennis session in Rome.
Later that month, she showed off a different diamond ring while attending the Dsquared2 fashion show at Milan Fashion Week.
From single life to saying yes
This is a major shift for Venus, who once said she wasn’t in a rush to settle down.
Back in 2021, she told Cosmopolitan, “I like my life and I don’t want to change it. I’m not desperate and they don’t believe me.”
She explained how people warned her about “missing her window.” Her response? “Relax. You might feel this way, but I don’t.”
In a 2022 Glamour UK interview, she added, “It’s really easy to get stuck in a single life. It makes you think about what you want and how to behave.”
Still, she remained open to love: “When life changes, you’ve got to know when to change. You can’t hold on to either a relationship or the singleness.”
Love meets tennis in Venus’ new chapter
Venus Williams’ engagement comes after years of focusing on her career and personal growth.
Now, with Andrea Preti by her side, she says she’s found both motivation and joy.
And as she returns to the court, fans will be watching this exciting new chapter — both in tennis and in love.
