After playing her first singles match at the 2025 Citi DC Open after a 16-month hiatus, Venus Williams confirmed her engagement to Andrea Preti. She also credited her fiancé with helping her make a comeback.
Preti, an actor originally from Denmark, relocated to Italy with his family during his teenage years. The couple began dating approximately a year ago, with their first public appearance together being in July 2024.
Venus Williams Reveals How Her Fiancé Andrea Preti Helped in Her Comeback
Williams accepted a wild card entry into the main draw of the 2025 Citi DC Open. She faced fellow American Peyton Stearns in the opening round and defeated her 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 37 minutes to advance to the second round. With this win, the 45-year-old became the oldest woman to win a WTA Tour singles match since Martina Navratilova at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships.
Simply remarkable 👏pic.twitter.com/BWXZzCSZUs
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 23, 2025
During her post-match on-court interview, Williams mentioned that her fiancé, Preti, was there to watch her play, thus revealing their engagement. She also expressed that there were moments when she considered stepping away from the sport, but Preti’s encouragement and motivation inspired her to continue competing.
“My fiancé 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?” Williams said.
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
The seven-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged the challenges of returning to tennis, stating that while the sport demands hard work, Preti’s support has been instrumental in her comeback. She also shared that this was her fiancé’s first experience watching her play professionally.
“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,” she added.
Venus and her boyfriend in the Bahamas 🏝️ pic.twitter.com/nMqTezLTHx
— Serena’s snatched wig (@Danidilo2) January 16, 2025
In addition to her singles campaign, Williams is competing in the doubles event at the 2025 Citi DC Open alongside compatriot Hailey Baptiste. The duo faced the wild card team of Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue in the first round and won 6-3, 6-1. They will next compete against the second-seeded team of Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai in the quarterfinals.
Who Will Venus Williams Face at the 2025 Citi DC Open 2R?
Following her win over Stearns in the first round of the 2025 Citi DC Open, Williams is set to face fifth seed Magdalena Fręch in the second round.
Fręch entered the WTA 500 hard court tournament in Washington, D.C., after concluding her grass court swing, during which she participated in four tournaments: the 2025 Queens Club Championships, Berlin Tennis Open, Bad Homburg Open, and Wimbledon Championships.
The Pole experienced early exits in London, Bad Homburg, and Wimbledon, where she was defeated in the first round by Diana Shnaider, Clara Tauson, and Victoria Mboko, respectively. She advanced to the second round in Berlin before falling to Amanda Anisimova.
At the Citi DC Open, Fręch began her campaign with a strong performance, defeating qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva in the first round in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-4, securing her place in the second round against Williams.
The second match between Williams and Fręch will mark the first time these two players will go up against one another on the WTA Tour. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face either third seed Elena Rybakina or wild card Victoria Mboko.
