Venus Williams, the tennis icon, is engaged to her actor boyfriend Andrea Preti. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion confirmed her engagement with the former model after winning her first singles match in 16 months on Tuesday (July 22). She became the oldest tennis player to win the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) singles match since 2004 after beating Peyton Stearns at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
The legendary tennis player spoke about her fiancé in a post-match interview, saying he motivated her comeback. She shared that Preti, 37, was a huge source of encouragement on the comeback trail.
"My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing. There were 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. 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," the tennis icon said.
The legendary tennis player was on a hiatus due to health issues. She had a surgery to remove fibroids from her uterus. Her last match was in March 2024, and there were several rumors about her silent retirement.
Who is Andrea Preti?
The Danish-born Italian actor and producer, 37, spent his childhood in Denmark and moved to Italy during his teenage years. He began his career as a model and gradually tried to build his name in both front and behind the cameras. Preti initially focused on acting and got his training from the Susan Batson Studio in New York.
Williams' fiancé played different roles in commercials, TV shows, and films. He showcased his skills in various areas of filmmaking through the 2014 movie, One More Day. Preti wrote, starred, and directed in this flick. He was part of the 2023 Italian TV series A Professor. The Italian actor gained attention for his role in the 2022 film Temptation. He also received public attention through his appearance on the reality show La Talpa.
