Venus Williams confirms engagement to actor Andrea Preti—all about him
What's the story
Tennis star Venus Williams (45) has confirmed her engagement to actor-producer Andrea Preti (37). The news was revealed during a post-match interview on Tuesday, after her first singles match in over a year. When asked how Preti has supported her comeback, Williams said he encouraged her to keep playing despite wanting to take it easy at times. "My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing," she said.
Know the groom
Here's all we know about Preti
Preti is a Danish-born Italian model-actor who dabbles in directing and writing. He has directed and written four movies: The Wolf Man (2014), One More Day (2015), In Loving Memory (2015), and Animals (2015). His acting credits include these four in addition to Birra Ichnusa (2012), Vieni con me (2013), Alla Fine (2013), and Furore (2013). Interestingly, Preti had never seen Williams professionally play until Tuesday, a match where she clinched her first singles victory since 2023. Lucky charm, indeed!
Relationship journey
The couple's dating timeline
Williams and Preti were first linked on July 27, 2024, when they were spotted boating in Nerano, Italy. Engagement rumors started in February 2025 after they were seen outside a tennis training session in Rome with Williams sporting a diamond ring on her left hand. The speculation intensified when the couple attended the Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2025 fashion show at Milan Fashion Week later that month, where the tennis star was photographed wearing the square-cut diamond ring, too.
Relationship perspective
'Not desperate to settle down'
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, was last seen on the tennis court in March 2024. In a 2021 Cosmopolitan cover story, she had said that she wasn't "desperate" to settle down. "I have a lot of friends who don't believe me when I say that I like my life and I don't want to change it for any reason," she had said.
Dating strategy
Williams on being open to change
Williams, who was previously linked to model Elio Pis in 2012, had also shared her dating strategy. "They say things like, 'You're going to miss your window,'" she said about her friends. "I'm like, 'Please, relax. You might feel this way, but I don't. I promise you I don't.'" In an October 2022 interview with Glamour UK, she spoke about working on her dating life and being open to change when the right person comes along.