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Venus Williams, 45, confirms engagement to actor partner, 37, as she rolls back years to win first match in TWO YEARS

Venus Williams, 45, confirms engagement to actor partner, 37, as she rolls back years to win first match in TWO YEARS

The Irish Sun3 days ago
VENUS WILLIAMS rolled back the years last night to win for the first time since August 2023.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion, 45, surprisingly accepted a wildcard to return in Washington DC this week.
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Venus Williams celebrates her first win since 2023
Credit: Getty
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Williams, 45, rolled back the years in Washington DC
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Williams defeated Peyton Stearns... 22 years her junior
Credit: Getty
The WTA Tour veteran looked like she'd never been away as she defeated world No35 Peyton Stearns, 22 years her junior, 6-3 6-4 in front of a raucous night session crowd.
In doing so, Williams became the second-oldest woman to ever win a singles match at tour level, only behind Martina Navratilova, who did so at 47-years-old.
The American legend won her first tour-level match 31 years ago, aged just 14.
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After her historic triumph, Williams revealed on court that she is engaged to actor partner Andrea Preti.
The tennis icon said: "My fiance is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing.
"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.
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Williams is engaged to Andrea Preti
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Preti, 37, was in attendance at the match last night
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"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."
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Williams is also playing the doubles event in DC this week.
Tennis star Venus Williams talks about her struggles with chronic illness and Sjogren's syndrome
Partnering Hailey Baptiste, Williams beat
Speaking about partnering Baptiste, Williams poked fun at her retired sister Serena.
She said: "I think from the first point I could see that we were going to be a good team.
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"We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way."
Williams and Baptiste will be back in action later today, as they take on No2 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai in the quarter-finals.
The veteran will then return again for the singles tomorrow, taking on Poland's Magdalena Frech.
Williams has entered the revamped US Open mixed doubles event, which also featured
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The two-time US Open champion could also look for a singles wildcard at Flushing Meadows.
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Williams is also playing doubles this week alongside Hailey Baptiste
Credit: Getty
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The American received a hero's reception from her home crowd
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Irish producer of The Osbournes pays tribute to late trailblazer Ozzy
Irish producer of The Osbournes pays tribute to late trailblazer Ozzy

Irish Examiner

time13 minutes ago

  • Irish Examiner

Irish producer of The Osbournes pays tribute to late trailblazer Ozzy

The Irish producer of The Osbournes Hit TV series has paid tribute to the late trailblazer Ozzy Osbourne who he has described as a 'down to earth man who loved the Irish.' The heavy metal pioneer died on Tuesday at the age of 76 just weeks after performing with Black Sabbath at a big farewell show in his hometown of Birmingham. A statement from the family said: "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.' Dubliner Marcus Fox won an Emmy for The Osbournes series which ran for three years on MTV from 2002 to 2005 and went on to become the biggest rating show on American TV at the time. He formed a close relationship with the family during that time and said Ozzy had a 'particular fondness for the Irish.' 'He was a very simple man, a really kind person, I was very sorry to hear he passed on,' said Mr Fox. 'He had a soft spot for the Irish; he loved to hang out with us in the shed at the back of his house. There were cameras rolling 24 hours a day, there was a day crew and night crew, and Ozzy would sneak out and have a can of Guinness with us. "He had so much time for the Irish, there were four Irish lads working on the show, he got on well with all of us. 'It seems to me, Ozzy held on to do his farewell gig and he meant it. 'He was very nice to crew, very easy to work with, easy going, not easy direct or produce, but easy going. 'Sharon his wife is the boss, she was very caring and protective of Ozzy, and family was family, she accepted his children from his first marriage into the family, she was very welcoming'. Ozzy's daughter Kelly Osbourne this week said she has lost her "best friend" following the death of her father. She had attended his last concert where she got engaged backstage to her long-term partner Sid Wilson from the band Slipknot. Marcus Fox who was living in the US at the time and had been working on the Anna Nicole Smith reality show, pitched the idea of a reality TV show to the Osbourne family to their agents. Dubliner Marcus Fox won an Emmy for the Osbourne series which ran for three years on MTV from 2002 to 2005 and went on to become the biggest rating show on American TV at the time. Picture: Marcus Fox 'Sharon was very interested in Anna Nicole Smith' said Marcus. 'She had this idea of interviewing her in a big bubble bath, but one show was on the channel E and the Osbournes was on MTV, and we would have loved to work with the two, but the networks wouldn't agree, so that never happened. They would do it in a heartbeat now. 'We went to the Osbournes with the idea of a reality show, they were interested. 'We met the family and then we did a pilot and then went on to make the show. 'It was the early 2000's but we got three seasons out of it, and then we did a couple of specials. We talked a few times about going back to another season, but it never happened. 'After that I did another show, Battle for Ozzfest,' said Mr Fox. Ozzfest was also a reality show aired on MTV in 2004 and saw eight bands 'battling' it out in a series of challenges to win a spot on the stage at the heavy metal festival, Ozzfest. Fox said he stayed in touch with the Osbournes and described Sharon and Ozzy as a 'couple very much in love'. 'I know they had tough times' he said. 'He met her through her father; he was on her dad's label. She went on to become his manager and they were just madly in love'. The couple made no secret of their challenges. They were married for four decades and during that time Ozzy battled with alcohol and drug addiction and became violent to Sharon before he was arrested for attempted murder. 'She stuck with him,' said Mr Fox. 'Love prevails and they were like two teenagers together; they were really in love'. He said Ozzy spent most of his days painting and lived a very simple life. He was incredibly talented, and his music was a soundtrack to many people's lives, he did around 19 albums and was a prolific song writer and a poet and an artist. He was always painting in the house. 'We had 24-hour coverage, with two shifts for the crew, night and day, you had to be prepared because the kids were only teenagers at the time, and they would often come in from a night out and you didn't want to miss that. 'Their house was really nice, but it wasn't a mansion or anything like that, it was a five-bedroom house in Beverley Hills, and we were there all the time. 'They have since moved away'. He said that Ozzy had crucifixes all over the house and they were used as 'doorknobs and handles.' 'They were all around the bath and toilet too,' he said. 'I don't know if he was religious, maybe it was beat into him growing up. 'I never went to church with him, but he did not have a lavish lifestyle, he had very simple needs and means, he didn't buy into all that. 'His son Louis who didn't want to appear on the show used to hang around with us, and he would go out with us for drinks. We introduced him to a girl on the crew called Lisa who was from Dublin, and they fell in love and got married. 'They are living in the UK now but were living in Ireland for years. 'Louis and his sister have a different mom to Sharon but that didn't matter to Sharon, she was very open." Marcus said he hopes to attend Ozzy's funeral to pay his respects. 'I would like to go, there hasn't been a memorial for him yet, the family is just in bits now over him. They all adored him'.

Harrington holds Senior Open lead heading into final round after another 65
Harrington holds Senior Open lead heading into final round after another 65

The 42

time17 minutes ago

  • The 42

Harrington holds Senior Open lead heading into final round after another 65

IRELAND'S PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON continues to lead the Senior Open after a second consecutive 65 to leave him on 13-under at Sunningdale Old Course in Berkshire. The 53-year-old took a one-shot lead into the third round and heads into the final round two shots clear of American Justin Leonard on 11-under. Denmark's Thomas Bjorn is just behind on 10-under. Harrington won the US Senior Open for the second time last month and has been a runner-up at the Senior Open in 2022 and 2023. 'I thought I was getting better but a little bit of riding my luck,' he told Sky Sports after today's third round. 'I don't think I rode my luck as much today, I wasn't out of position. But I certainly didn't play much better than yesterday. A little bit more cautious today. Advertisement 'I don't feel very good about how I'm hitting the ball so I'm trying to get away from that and not worry so much about that because clearly I'm scoring well. I'm better off to be shooting 13-under par and not feel good about it than think you're swinging it great and be level par. 'I just need to go out and try to play golf tomorrow, hit the right shots at the right time.' Should he succeed tomorrow, Harrington will become the fifth player in history to win the Senior Open and Open Championship, following in the footsteps of Tom Watson, Gary Player, Bob Charles and Darren Clarke. 'You're putting things in my head,' he laughed when asked about the prospect of achieving that feat. 'I'm not going to think about that. Those are the sort of things where you're getting ahead of yourself and I'll wait until tomorrow to try and digest that.' A HUGE birdie putt for @padraig_h 👏🏻 He's tied for the lead with five holes to play 👀#SeniorOpen — Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 26, 2025 Birdies on the fourth and ninth sent Harringon into the back nine in a strong position. He added another birdie on 11 before dropping a shot on the next hole. But he quickly recovered with back-to-back birdies, sinking a brilliant putt from around 30 feet at the 13th. He wrapped up another sizzling 65 with his sixth birdie of the day on 18. Meanwhile, Leona Maguire shot a 73 in the third round of the Women's Scottish Open to leave her in a tie for 18th place and 12 shots off the lead heading into the final round. Maguire started the round six shots off the lead, but has slipped back after her day was hampered by four bogeys. However, she finished strongly with a birdie on 13 and back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18. Lottie Woad's 67 sees her carry a two-shot lead into the final round.

Yoane Wissa ‘tells Brentford he will NEVER play for them again' as Newcastle consider Nicolas Jackson instead
Yoane Wissa ‘tells Brentford he will NEVER play for them again' as Newcastle consider Nicolas Jackson instead

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

Yoane Wissa ‘tells Brentford he will NEVER play for them again' as Newcastle consider Nicolas Jackson instead

YOANE WISSA has told Brentford chiefs that he will never play for the club again amid interest from Newcastle, according to reports. And it's claimed that if the Bees continue to play hard ball, the Toon could move on to Advertisement 6 Yoane Wissa wants to quit Brentford this summer Credit: Getty 6 Nicolas Jackson has emerged as a target for Newcastle Credit: Getty Wissa, 28, has received serious interest from While the DR Congo international has also attracted strong interest from Wissa Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL According to the Mail's Wissa reportedly feels that he was promised a move this summer and is unhappy that Brentford have reneged on such an agreement. The 19-goal striker is desperate to play in the Champions League and feels that he may not get such an opportunity again. Brentford are eager to hold on to Wissa, having already lost boss Thomas Frank and several members of the Dane's coaching staff to Tottenham, as well as Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United. Advertisement Most read in Football Breaking BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 6 Eddie Howe is eager to recruit at least one new striker this summer Credit: PA 6 Newcastle are assessing several forward options, amid the bombshell revelation earlier this week that Advertisement Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes discuss Alexander Isak's future after Newcastle star's transfer bombshell But with In addition to Sesko, the The 24-year-old has scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for the Blues across the last two seasons, but could be made available for the right price this summer. Advertisement Newcastle could While In addition to Wissa, Sesko and Jackson, Ollie Watkins is admired by Newcastle. Aston Villa aren't thought to be keen on selling the England international this summer, but it remains to be seen whether a big-money bid could change their stance. Advertisement 6 6

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