Venus Williams Confirms Engagement to Andrea Preti After 1st Singles Win Since 2023

Venus Williams is celebrating two major milestones — her first singles win in two years and her engagement to partner Andrea Preti.

The 45-year-old became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match after defeating Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open on Tuesday. Williams confirmed the engagement following the victory.

During her post-match interview with Rennae Stubbs, she was asked, “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?”

“My fiancé is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams replied.

"There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill," she continued. "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."

Williams had not played in an official singles match in over a year after undergoing surgery to remove uterine fibroids, but returned to the spotlight with a bang.