Venus Williams Celebrates Engagement to Andrea Preti with Tropical Shoot

It’s been a year of comebacks for Venus Williams, and not just in the tennis world. The seven-time Grand Slam champion has been making waves both on and off the court, from her long-awaited return to competitive tennis to sharing a significant life milestone: her engagement to Italian actor Andrea Preti.

Since last year, the world has been watching Venus and Andrea, a couple that seemed to bloom in the most unexpected of places. They kept their relationship relatively low-key until this past summer, when Venus, after over a year away from the tour, came forward with the news that they were engaged.

Venus Williams shared with her fans that she’s actually been engaged for nearly a year. She made the official announcement this Tuesday with a stunning tropical photo shoot that had fans on the edge of their seats. Photos of them getting cosy in a beautiful, scenic spot with her dog, Harry, went viral on her social media. People flooded her Instagram with love and admiration, including a sweet heart-eye emoji from tennis phenom Coco Gauff.

Venus’ caption broke the news that Andrea popped the question on January 31, just days after the 2025 Australian Open. And to think, all this time, she’d been sporting an engagement ring without us knowing.

Preti's life has span across Europe, as he was born in Denmark and grew up in Italy. His professional path kicked off in the fashion world, where he modeled for a top Italian fashion brand.

Once his modeling career in Europe took off, Preti moved to New York to start acting at the Susan Batson Studio. From there, he broadened his creative horizons to also include writing and directing movies. Together, their public appearances has been limited to just tennis matches and occasional red carpet events. 

His film projects, which feature works like One More Day, La Talpa, A Professor, and Temptation, really highlight his adaptability in the entertainment field.

They started dating back in the summer of 2024.

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Venus hasn’t let her personal life distract her from her professional goals. In fact, this year’s been a testament to her resilience, both on the court and in her personal life. After a string of intense, emotional years, she made her long-awaited return to the Hologic WTA Tour, and it was clear she wasn’t just back for a stroll. Her comeback wasn’t without its hurdles, but Venus pushed through like the champion she is.

In one of her standout moments, Venus impressed crowds at the US Open despite a tough first-round loss to No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova. But that didn’t stop her; she showed up and showed out in the doubles, reaching the quarterfinals with Leylah Fernandez. Venus reminded everyone why she’s a force to be reckoned with, and the tennis world was buzzing with excitement.

Venus has already confirmed she’s coming back in 2026, with her eyes set on the ASB Classic in New Zealand, starting January 5. 

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What’s truly inspiring about Venus is her ability to balance it all: her relationship, her career, and her personal growth. She’s shown us that you don’t have to pick one over the other; you can have both, and you can do it with style.

As Venus heads into 2026, the world will be watching to see what comes next. Will she add another Grand Slam to her collection? Only time will tell. But one thing is sure: Venus Williams will continue to do things her way, on her terms, and inspire us all while she does.