Venus Williams surprised the tennis world a few months ago, when she signed on to do commentary and interviews at Roland Garros. Venus has never officially retired, but many people assumed that “taking a commentary/interview position with TNT” was the first step towards her retirement soft-launch. Then Venus shocked the tennis world again after Wimbledon – she asked for and received a wild card into the Citi Open, the WTA/ATP 500 tournament in DC this week. She played a doubles match on Monday (she and her partner won) and the stands were PACKED. Then she got the showcase night match for her singles match on Tuesday, her first match since March 2024. The stands were once again packed. Venus, who is 45 years old, beat 23-year-old Peyton Stearns in straight sets, with multiple breaks. She looked so good! After the match, her friend Rennae Stubbs interviewed her on court and Venus also confirmed her engagement:
Venus Williams is engaged to actor-producer Andrea Preti. The tennis star, 45, confirmed that she is engaged to the 37-year-old former model after her first singles match in over a year on Tuesday, July 22.
In a post-match interview, Rennae Stubbs 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. 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.”
While the couple has kept their romance private, Williams and Preti, whose acting credits include the Italian television series A Professor and the film One More Day, were first linked together on July 27, 2024, when they were seen boating in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast.
I’m including Venus’s on-court interview below – not only did she confirm her engagement (amazing) and talk about her fiance, but she also said that she’s launching a comeback to stay on her health insurance! Imagine being a 45-year-old legend of the sport and launching a comeback at 45 to stay up to date on your insurance. WILD! Anyway, Venus looked so good in her match. I wonder if she’ll get wild cards into Cincinnati and the US Open.
It’s like she never left ????????@Venuseswilliams defeats Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round in the United States capital.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/r38pH63jCt
— wta (@WTA) July 23, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, screengrab from the Tennis Channel.
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- LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 13: Venus Williams at the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, California, on April 13, 2024.,Image: 864660237, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Faye Sadou / Avalon
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- Venus Williams at the Serpentine Summer Party 2024 at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens, London, United Kingdom on 25 June 2024.,Image: 885505745, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Cat Morley/Avalon
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- Venus Williams attends The Fashion Awards 2024, presented by Pandora at the Royal Albert Hall on December 02, 2024 in London, England.,Image: 942319558, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Olivier Huitel/Avalon/Avalon
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- Venus Williams at The Fashion Awards 2024 at the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, London,Image: 989541586, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Cat Morley/Avalon
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Manhattan, NY – Gwyneth Paltrow unveils The Forest Within Genesis House in NYC. The brand’s flagship space will take guests through an immersive journey centered around Korean heritage, nature and design. The GOOP founder expressed her excitement over her collaboration on the space saying, There are very few places to encounter this kind of immersive, meditative experience, especially in the heart of New York City. Collaborating on this project has been an incredible opportunity to push the boundaries of what wellness can look and feel like, and I’m thrilled to invite people into this serene, multisensory world we’ve created.”
Pictured: Gwyneth Paltrow
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