Venus Williams finally confirms engagement to Italian actor Andrea Preti

Tennis icon 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, following her singles comeback match.

Preti and Venus were first linked romantically in July 2024 after being spotted boating in Nerano, Italy along the Amalfi Coast. In February, engagement rumors intensified after the American tennis superstar was seen wearing a diamond ring during a training session in Rome, with Preti cheering from the stands.

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After defeating Peyton Stearns in the first round of the DC Open at the Rock Creek Tennis Center on Tuesday night, Williams was asked about her personal life during a post-match interview.

"My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing," People quoted Williams as saying. She further 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."

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With this win, Venus became the second-oldest woman in professional tennis history to claim a singles victory on the WTA Tour. It marked her first singles triumph in nearly two years. The only player older to achieve such a feat is Martina Navratilova, who won at Wimbledon in 2004 at age 47.

Williams hadn’t played a WTA singles match since March 2023 in Miami and hadn’t won one since August 2023 in Cincinnati. Her victory over Stearns ended a 709-day drought. She also became the oldest player to compete in a WTA tour-level match since Kimiko Date in 2017.