Sports

Venus Williams Confirms Andrea Preti Engagement After Historic Win: 'He Really Encouraged Me'

"He really encouraged me to keep playing," Venus said of her newly confirmed fiancé.

Andrea Preti in a black suit sits beside Venus Williams, who is wearing a pink blazer. They are at an indoor event.
Image via Getty/Alessandro Levati/Dsquared2

Fresh off her historic defeat of Peyton Stearns, Venus Williams has confirmed her engagement to actor Andrea Preti.

In an on-court interview Tuesday, 45-year-old Williams, now the oldest singles winner since 2004 thanks to her victory over 23-year-old Stearns, was asked about being “an engaged woman.” She was also to speak a bit about how Preti, to whom she’s been romantically linked since last summer, has aided in her thrilling comeback.

“Yes, my fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams said with a smile, thereby directly confirming engagement speculation. “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. It’s nine-to-five 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.”

See the full interview below.

On Instagram, Preti declared Williams the GOAT, adding that he was “so proud” of her latest accomplishment in a career full of them.

Next up, Williams is set to play against Magdalena Frech. In the meantime, see highlights from her and Stearns’ Tuesday match below.

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