Venus Williams received a heartwarming message of support from her husband, Andrea Preti, following her Indian Wells exit. The 45-year-old was beaten by Diane Parry in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open, losing 3-6, 7-6 (4), 1-6.
Despite the defeat, Williams delivered a resolute performance and fought hard in a match that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours amid difficult conditions in the Southern California desert.
Venus Williams Receives Message of Support From Husband After Indian Wells Exit
Following her elimination from the BNP Paribas Open, Williams received words of affirmation from her husband. In a post on his Instagram story on Saturday, Preti hailed his wife’s determination and backed her to reach even greater heights on the court.
“I know this is a difficult moment, but I know how strong you are. You’re the kind of woman who may fall, but always rises stronger than before,” Preti wrote.
“Even when everything seems to be against you, there is a determination inside you that nothing can ever take away. Keep believing in yourself – your moment will come, and it will be even greater than you can imagine,” he added.
Defeat at Indian Wells meant that Williams has now lost her last eight matches on the WTA Tour. Her only win in singles since her tennis comeback came at the Washington Open – against Peyton Stearns. Williams has tasted some success in women’s doubles, reaching the quarterfinals at the 2025 US Open.
During her press conference following her defeat to Parry, Williams lamented the weather conditions at Indian Wells. Temperatures have soared into the high 70s this week, and strong winds have made it even more difficult for players to adapt.
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“I think today is not the kind of day that you want to assess. The conditions are impossible. Also my match in Austin, the conditions were impossible. I have played the last two matches in very difficult conditions,” she said during her post-match press conference.
“Today, I tried to adjust. But it’s not easy. You can’t trust anything that you do out there. You should get out there and play in that wind and you’ll tell me too if you can create some magic or if you can be perfect or not,” she added.
Williams is still searching for her first win of 2026. But the seven-time singles Grand Slam winner remains determined to keep competing at the top level. She could next be in action at the Miami Open, which begins on March 15.
