Venus Williams Confirms Engagement and Reveals a Wildly Unexpected Detail

Big congrats are in order—Venus Williams is officially engaged! The tennis legend confirmed the exciting news on July 22, just after playing her first singles match in over a year. (She won, btw.) Her partner in love and life? Actor and producer Andrea Preti, who’s apparently been her behind-the-scenes cheerleader throughout this latest tennis chapter.

In a post-match interview, Venus was asked about how Andrea has supported her comeback. "You are now an engaged woman. So, how has Andrea helped you in this comeback? You’re happy, a smile on your face. I mean, how much has he made a difference in your life?" the interviewer asked.

"My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing," Venus replied.

The five-time Wimbledon winner went on to describe just how intense the grind really is, stating, "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. 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."

Then came the curveball—Venus revealed that despite being together for over a year, "He’s never seen me play." Well, looks like they just checked the box for that relationship first.

Though the couple has kept their romance low-key, they were first linked after looking cozy in Italy in July 2024. Preti, a former model raised in Italy, studied acting at the Susan Batson Academy in NYC. He’s acted in a handful of projects, including One More Day, Temptation, My Beloved Enemy and A Professor.