Latest news with #VenusWilliams
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Venus Williams Confirms She Is Engaged to Actor Andrea Preti
"My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing," said Williams about Preti Venus Williams is engaged to actor-producer Andrea Preti. The tennis star, 44, confirmed that she is engaged to 36-year-old former model after her first singles match in over a year at age 45 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," 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." 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 seen boating in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast on July 27. Related: Venus Williams Enjoys Italian Boating Excursion with Actor Andrea Preti Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. For Venus — whose last appearance on the tennis court was a March 2024 defeat at the Miami Open — the new relationship comes three years after the seven-time Grand Slam winner said she wasn't 'desperate' to settle down. "I have a lot of friends who don't believe me when I say that I like my life and I don't want to change it for any reason. I'm not desperate and they don't believe me," the tennis star revealed in a 2021 Cosmopolitan cover story. Related: Venus Williams Says She's Not 'Desperate' to Settle Down: 'I Like My Life' Williams, who was linked to model Elio Pis in 2012, then elaborated on her dating strategy. "They say things like, 'You're going to miss your window,' " Williams said about her friends. "I'm like, 'Please, relax. You might feel this way, but I don't. I promise you I don't.'" In the October 2022 issue of Glamour UK, Williams opened about how she was working on her dating life. "I've had a single life for a long time and I think it's really easy to get stuck in a single life and sometimes – at least for me – harder to get out," she said at the time. "It makes you think about yourself and what you want and how to behave." Williams added that when the right person comes along, she's willing to go with the flow. "When life changes, you've got to know when to change," Williams explained. She added, "You can't hold on to either a relationship or the singleness." Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Venus Williams confirms engagement to Andrea Preti after historic tennis victory
Venus Williams is a soon-to-be bride. The 45-year-old tennis star confirmed her engagement to actor Andrea Preti during an interview Tuesday after her first tennis singles match in a year. During the post-game conversation, Rennae Stubbs called Williams a 'newly engaged woman,' and the athlete smiled in response. 'Yes, my fiancé is here,' she said, prompting applause from the crowd. She then described how Preti, with whom she had been romantically linked for a year, has made a difference in her life. 'And he really encouraged me to keep playing,' Williams continued. 'There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill.' The Grand Slam champion then acknowledged how difficult it can be to play tennis, given the immense training she has to do. 'You guys don't know how much work goes into this, like it's a nine to five except you're running the whole time. Lifting weights and just like dying, and then you repeat it the next time,' she quipped. She added about her fiancé: 'So he encouraged me to get through this, and it's wonderful to be here. He's never seen me play.' During a match-up at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C. Tuesday night, Williams beat Peyton Stearns by a 6-3, 6-4 score. She then became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis. This was also the first singles match Williams has won since 2023. Off the court, Williams and Preti were first romantically linked in July 2024, after they were spotted on a boat in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast. While the pair has kept their relationship out of the spotlight, they were rumored to be engaged in February. At the time, photos obtained by People showed Williams wearing a sparkling diamond ring on her left hand during a tennis practice session. Fuel was added to the fire later that month when Preti and Williams attended a show during Milan Fashion Week, with the tennis star once again wearing a diamond ring on her left ring finger. Venus Williams on her fiancées support after getting 1st singles win since 2023'My fiancée is here. He really encouraged me to keep playing. Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? It's 9 to 5 except you're running the whole time' 😭😭😭😭 — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 23, 2025 Williams' recent tennis win came weeks after she revealed her struggle with a medical condition that left her with debilitating symptoms. Speaking to NBC News Correspondent Zinhle Essamuah on Today earlier this month, Williams detailed her ongoing struggle with benign tumors in the uterus known as fibroids. The condition can cause symptoms like 'extreme pain,' as Williams described. 'You know, getting so much in pain that maybe you throw up,' she said 'Or you can't get off the ground… I missed practices because of that. Just, you know, hugging the toilet.' She initially believed her symptoms were related to Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease she's lived with for years. After seeing an ad online for a fibroids clinic, Williams did some research, realizing her experience wasn't normal as so many doctors led her to believe. She underwent a myomectomy — a procedure that removes the fibroids while keeping the uterus intact — a year ago under the care of a doctor from NYU's Langone Health's Center for Fibroid Care. With July being Fibroid Awareness Month, Williams felt the need to share her story. 'You can be denied the best health care no matter who you are. And that you have to be your own advocate,' Williams said. 'Hopefully, someone will see this interview and say, 'I can get help. I don't have to live this way.''
Time of India
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Venus Williams confirms engagement to actor-producer Andrea Preti
Tennis star Venus Williams has confirmed engagement to actor-producer Andrea Preti. The 45-year-old tennis star made the revelation during a post-match interview on Tuesday. Tennis star Venus Williams has confirmed engagement to actor-producer Andrea Preti . The 45-year-old tennis star made the revelation during a post-match interview on Tuesday. Venus Williams, who was away from the court for a while, made a historic return at the Washington Open. According to The People, Williams revealed that her boyfriend, Andrea Preti, has proposed to her. As the interviewer referred to Venus as an "engaged woman," further asking if her partner has helped her in the comeback, the tennis star said, "My fiance is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing." The seven-time Grand Slam champion further elaborated how she wanted to "coast and chill" during her break and that it was Preti who encouraged her to get through. "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," Venus said. Venus Williams, the sister of tennis sensation Serena Williams, has been quite private about her relationship with the 'One More Day' actor. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Canada is looking for skilled immigrants from Jamaica! Canadian Visa Professionals Sign Up Undo They were first linked romantically in July 2024 after being spotted boating in Nerano, Italy, as per the outlet. In February this year, Venus sparked engagement rumours after she was pictured wearing a shiny diamond ring on her left hand. For Venus Williams, her last appearance on the court was in March 2024 at the Miami Open, whereas Andrea Preti's acting credits include 'Temptation,' 'A Professor,' 'One More Day,' along with an appearance on the Italian reality show, 'La Talpa,' the People reported. With the engagement now confirmed, it is yet to be seen if the couple has finalised any wedding date.
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Tennis: 45-year-old Venus Williams becomes oldest woman since Navratilova to win singles match - Omni sports
Venus Williams wanted to send a message — to herself and to others — about coming back from a long layoff, about competing in a sport at age 45, about never giving up. Yes, there was something special about just being back on a tennis court Tuesday night. There also was this: She really, really wanted to win. And Williams did just that, becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis, delivering some of her familiar big serves and groundstrokes at age 45 while beating Peyton Stearns — 22 years her junior — by a 6-3, 6-4 score at the DC Open. 'Each week that I was training, I was, like, 'Oh, my God, I don't know if I'm good enough yet.' And then there would be weeks where I would leap forward. And there would be two weeks where I was, like, 'Oh, God, it's not happening.' Even the week leading up, (I thought), 'Oh, my gosh, I need to improve so much more.' So it's all a head game,' Williams said after her first singles match in more than a year and first singles victory in nearly two. Navratilova is the only woman older than Williams to win a singles match The only older woman to win a tour-level singles match was Martina Navratilova, whose last triumph came at 47 in 2004. The former No. 1-ranked Williams had not played singles in an official match since March 2024 in Miami, missing time while having surgery to remove uterine fibroids. She hadn't won in singles since August 2023 in Cincinnati. Until this week, she was listed by the WTA Tour as 'inactive.' 'I'm just constantly praying for good health, so that way I could have an opportunity to play with good health,' Williams said. 'A lot of this for me is being able to come back and try to play at a level (and) to play healthy.' Venus Williams won four Grand Slam titles before Peyton Stearns was born Backed by a crowd that clearly was there to see, and support, her at the hard-court tournament in the nation's capital, Williams showed glimpses of the talent she possesses and the skills she displayed while earning all of her Grand Slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in women's doubles — all alongside younger sister Serena — and two in mixed doubles. 'I wanted to play a good match,' Williams told the fans, then added a phrase that drew appreciative roars: 'and win the match.' In Tuesday's second game, Williams smacked a return winner to get things started, then delivered a couple of other big responses to break Stearns, a 23-year-old who won singles and team NCAA titles at the University of Texas and is currently ranked 35th. In the next game, Williams sprinted forward to reach a drop shot and replied with a forehand winner. The first chorus of cheers arrived when Williams walked out into the main stadium at the DC Open, a 7,000-seat arena that's more than twice as large as where she was for her doubles victory a day earlier. Another came when she strode from the sideline to the center of the court for the coin toss. The noise reached a crescendo when Williams began hitting aces — at 110 mph and faster — the way she used to. Keep in mind: Williams won four Grand Slam trophies before Stearns was born. Venus Williams hit big serves and groundstrokes just like she always did 'She played some ball tonight,' Stearns said. 'She was moving really well, which I wasn't expecting too much, honestly. Her serves were just on fire.' There also were moments where Williams — whose fiance was in the stands — looked as if it had been just as long as it actually has since she competed, including in the opening game, when she got broken at love this way: forehand wide, forehand into the net, forehand long, backhand long. At the end, it took Williams a bit of extra effort to close things out. She kept holding match points and kept failing to convert them. But eventually, on her sixth chance, Williams powered in a 112 mph serve that Stearns returned into the net. That was it: Williams smiled wide as can be, raised a fist and jogged to the net to shake hands, then performed her customary post-win pirouette-and-wave. 'It's not easy. It won't be easy. It's not easy for anyone out here,' said Williams, who next faces No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech, who's 27. 'So, I know I'll have to fight for every match. But I'm up for that.' (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Venus Williams Engaged to Actor Andrea Preti
Originally appeared on E! Online It's love all for Venus Williams. The tennis phenom has confirmed her engagement to Andrea Preti, an Italian model and actor, during the post-match interview of her first singles win in over a year. When interviewer Rennae Stubbs asked Venus—whom she called a newly engaged woman if Andrea played a role in her comeback, Venus replied with a smile, 'Yes, my fiancé is here. And he really encouraged me to keep playing.' She continued, 'There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill.' After all, as the 45-year-old pointed out, tennis is no walk in the park. 'Do you know how hard it is to play tennis?' she asked with a laugh. 'You guys don't know how much work goes into this, like 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.' More from E! Online Chad Michael Murray's Kids Make Red Carpet Debut in Rare Family Photo With Wife Sarah Roemer Erik Menendez Diagnosed With "Serious Medical Condition" Ozzy Osbourne Suffered "5 Years of Absolute Hell" Before Death She added of her fiancé, 'So he encouraged me to get through this and it's wonderful to be here. He's never seen me play." And it was a good first match for Andrea to witness, as Venus beat American player Peyton Stearns during the July 22 match up at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C. Venus' engagement news comes amid months of speculation that she and the 37-year-old had said yes to forever after she was seen wearing a diamond ring on that finger outside a training session in Rome in February. Fuel was only added to the fires when the tennis player once again stepped out with a noticeable diamond ring on her left hand during Milan Fashion week later that month. Over the years, Venus—who was first linked to Andrea in July 2024 after the pair enjoyed a boat ride together in Nerano, Italy—has been candid about being willing to let her life unfold in its own time. 'I have a lot of friends who don't believe me when I say that I like my life and I don't want to change it for any reason,' she told Cosmopolitan in 2021. 'I'm not desperate and they don't believe me. They say things like, 'You're going to miss your window.'' She continued, 'I'm like, 'Please, relax. You might feel this way, but I don't. I promise you I don't.'' And just one year later, Venus spoke to being ready to roll with whatever life brought her way. 'When life changes, you've got to know when to change,' she told Glamour UK. 'You can't hold on to either a relationship or the singleness.' For more celebrities who, as of this year, have a ring on it, keep reading. Venus Williams & Andrea PretiVictoria Pedretti & Ethan DelorenzoUma Jammeh & Wil AndersonCoco Jones & Donovan MitchellWill Peltz & Kenya Kinski-JonesBecca Tilley & Hayley KiyokoKevin Connolly & Zulay HenaoKelly Osbourne & Sid WilsonPeter Kraus & Hana OstapchukJames Maslow & Caitlin SpearsCandice King & Steven KruegerAmy Slaton & Brian LovvornSimu Liu & Allison HsuCrystal Hefner & James WardLacey Schwimmer & Frankie MorenoRachel Uchitel & Dan DonovanTallulah Willis & Justin AceeJake Paul & Jutta LeerdamJacob Batalon & Veronica LeahovEste HaimDrake Maye & Ann Michael HudsonRyan Edwards & Amanda ConnerZendaya & Tom HollandMontana Jordan & Jenna Weeks For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Solve the daily Crossword
