Serena plays matchmaker, Italian food involved as Venus Williams fiance reveals how he wooed her

Venus Williams, 45, and actor, director, and model Andrea Preti, 37, have confirmed their upcoming marriage after months of speculation in the tabloids, fueled by the seven-time Grand Slam champion's public appearances sporting a sizable diamond ring.

Venus Williams recently confirmed rumours of her engagement to Andrea Preti during the Washington tournament, following her first-round victory.

"My fiancé is here; he encouraged me to keep playing," said the 45-year-old Williams, who celebrated her birthday in June and hadn't competed in a WTA tournament for 16 months. "He'd never seen me play before," she added.

Shortly after Williams' revelation, Preti spoke publicly about their relationship for the first time in an interview with the weekly magazine "F," as reported by Corriere dello Sport. He confirmed the impending nuptials – "we're getting married," he stated – and shared details about their relationship, which had been kept under wraps for nearly a year.

The couple first met in Milan in 2024 at a Gucci fashion show. "The creative director at the time introduced us, and she started speaking to me in Italian, very well, and introduced me to her family," Preti said.

"I asked if I could get them something to drink. 'A glass of water,' her mother replied. While I was at the bar, Serena came up to me and said, 'I think my sister likes you. Do you want to chat with the three of us on WhatsApp to stay in touch?' That evening, we had dinner," he confirmed, after which Preti and Venus began messaging each other.

"A few weeks later, fate brought us both to London. We've been together ever since," Andrea added. The 37-year-old actor and director then revealed: "Venus loves it when I cook for her. She follows a gluten-free diet. She really likes my meatballs in tomato sauce – let's just say I won her over with those dishes – lasagna, mushroom risotto."

Andrea Preti has never played tennis, but since his twenties, he's been close friends with Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 Roland Garros champion. "Venus tells me I'm her mental coach and asks me for a lot of advice," revealed the former model, who has previously dated two other tennis players, Flavia Pennetta and Susanna Giovanardi.

He then had a long-term relationship with Claudia Gerini, which sparked controversy due to their age gap: the actress and TV presenter is seventeen years older than Preti. The two split in 2018, with Preti later stating that she left him "mercilessly." "Me, merciless? He's an adult; he'll move on," she retorted, according to newscinema.it.

Venus is eight years older than Andrea, but he says he doesn't "look at someone's age; I'm interested in the emotional connection. Unfortunately, people don't care if it's true love or how long a relationship lasts. They count the years, point fingers, and that's it."

Venus has had several relationships, including with golfer Hank Kuehne between 2007 and 2010, Cuban model Elio Pis in 2012, and millionaire Nicholas Hammond in 2017, according to People.

Preti was born in Denmark and spent much of his childhood there before moving with his family to Italy during his adolescence. He was a model for many years and then established a career as an actor and producer. He studied acting at the Susan Batson Studio in New York, after which he began landing roles in films, television productions, and commercials. He then directed the film "One More Day" in 2014.

Williams and Preti were first linked in July 2024 when they were spotted sailing together in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast.

Since then, the couple has kept their relationship private, although they were seen together again in January 2025. That same month, Williams posted a selfie with Preti on vacation in the Bahamas on her Instagram Stories, calling him "the best company."

Williams and Preti first sparked engagement rumors in February 2025 when she was seen wearing a diamond ring in Rome. A few weeks later, she also wore it to the Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2025 fashion show at Milan Fashion Week.