Venus Williams has long kept her private life just that.
While the world has followed her every move on the tennis court and on the red carpet, the tennis legend has made it a point to keep her relationships out of the spotlight. That changed in July 2025, when, during a post-match interview in Washington, D.C., she confirmed she is engaged to actor and producer Andrea Preti.
Her confirmation came after she was photographed wearing a diamond ring during Fashion Week in Milan.
Williams and Preti were first linked in the summer of 2024, after they were spotted together on a boat, sailing along the Amalfi Coast. Since then, their relationship has remained largely under the radar, with the couple having made only a few public appearances.
So who is Andrea Preti? From his European upbringing and early modeling career to his work in film and television, here is everything to know about the man by Venus Williams’ side.
He was born in Denmark and raised in Italy.
Andrea Preti was born in 1988 in Denmark but spent most of his formative years in Italy, where his family relocated when he was a teenager.
He began his career as a model.
Preti started in the fashion industry, working as a model across Europe. Over the years, he transitioned to acting and production, but his ties to fashion remain strong. Most recently, he attended the Gucci Men’s Spring/Summer 2025 show during Milan Fashion Week.
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He trained at the Susan Batson Academy in New York.
According to his IMDb bio, Preti studied acting at the Susan Batson Academy in New York City. He has since landed roles across film, television, and commercials, building a steady career in the Italian entertainment industry.
He’s an actor, writer, and director.
Preti wrote, directed, and starred in the 2014 indie film One More Day. He’s also appeared in the Italian series A Professor and starred in the 2023 drama Temptation. In addition, he competed on Italy’s version of The Mole, called La Talpa.
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He and Venus were first linked in July 2024.
Romance rumors began swirling in July 2024, when Preti and Williams were photographed vacationing together in Nerano, Italy. They were later seen together in January 2025, and that same month, Williams posted a selfie of them in the Bahamas on her Instagram Stories, calling Preti “the best company.”
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He supported Venus during her comeback.
When Venus confirmed their engagement in July 2025, she credited Preti with encouraging her return to tennis. “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?” she said during one post-match interview. “He encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful to be here.”
She confirmed the engagement after months of speculation.
Engagement rumors first started in February 2025, when Williams was seen wearing a diamond ring in Rome. She later wore the same ring while attending the Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2025 show in Milan.
The engagement confirmation came six months later, when Rennae Stubbs asked during an on-court interview, “You are now an engaged woman. So, how has Andrea helped you in this comeback?” To which Williams smiled and replied, “My fiancé is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing. He’s never seen me play.”