Venus Williams Spotted Wearing ‘Huge Ring’ While Out with Filmmaker Boyfriend, Sparking Engagement Rumors
Venus Williams is rather private with her love life, unlike her younger sister, Serena Williams, who often shares whimsical moments with her husband and their two daughters online.
After blazing trails on the tennis court for decades, it seems that Venus may be ready to serve up a new kind of love match.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion has sparked engagement rumors after being spotted in Rome on Sunday, Feb. 2, wearing a stunning square-cut diamond ring at a tennis training session under the admiring gaze of her rumored fiancé, Andrea Preti.
Preti can be seen comforting her off the court by holding her hand and giving her a hug in the photos. In more PDA-filled photos, they can be seen stopping during their walk to give each other a kiss.
The potential engagement has ignited passionate conversations on social media, particularly as it follows her sister Serena’s marriage to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with whom she has two daughters, Olympia, 7, and Adira, 1.
Comments on The Shade Room’s post of the couple ranged from celebrations of love to pointed conversations about race and relationships.
“So happy to see her happy and in her feminine energy!” wrote one supporter.
Another noted, “I’m just appreciating her looking BLACK and unfiltered in these photos,” a comment that seemed to reference ongoing discussions about her sister Serena’s photos and accusations of skin lightening.
The discourse quickly expanded beyond the couple themselves.
Others chimed in with really strong opinions about her reason for dating outside of her race: “Ladies go to where you’re loved and cherished,” and “I promise as long as people happy that’s all I care about.”
Some even zoomed in on the size of the ring, writing, “Her huge ring!! Ooohhh matron!” and “Huge ring sounds about right.”
One person joked, “Wow! That is a huge ring. I thought it was a tennis racket,” while another asked, “Shall we guess who paid for the ring !!”
The conversation inevitably drew comparisons to Serena’s relationship.
Serena Williams gives birth to her second child: Adira River Ohanian pic.twitter.com/rdN1GOMo2k
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 22, 2023
In response to the discourse, one person said, “Venus we happy you happy love and that’s all that matters the amount of ignorance in these comments are unbelievable.”
While Serena has had to repeatedly address criticism about her interracial marriage, she’s been candid about the challenges.
“It’s something that I deal with every day in my sport and playing a sport that has predominantly white people in it,” she said. She emphasized personal happiness over public opinion, stating, “At the end of the day, you just have to be happy with who you are and who you’re with, and that’s what matters most.”
One person in the comment section, blasted the brothers upset about her choice, writing, “Don’t y’all start no BS, us Blk men done had plenty of time to shoot our shot at Venus and Ion recall nobody doing so.”
Venus’ romance with the 36-year-old Danish-born filmmaker first caught public attention during their vacation in Nerano along Italy’s Amalfi Coast in July 2024, according to People.
Since then, her and Preti’s relationship has flourished in the public eye, with the couple spotted holding hands in New York City and vacationing in the Bahamas. Venus herself has offered glimpses into their connection, sharing photos on social media and describing Preti as “the best company.”
According to Life and Style Magazine, Venus’ multi-talented partner studied at New York’s prestigious Susan Batson Academy, building a career that spans modeling, acting, writing, and directing.
DEUXMOI EXCLUSIVE…Venus Williams & actor and producer Andrea Preti in Nerano, Italy 📸 @backgrid_usa pic.twitter.com/WhDBjvm2CJ
— deuxmoi (@deuxmoiworld) July 29, 2024
Preti’s credits include the Italian television series “A Professor” and his self-directed film “One More Day,” bringing his own artistic passion to match Williams’s athletic prowess.
This potential engagement marks a significant shift for Williams, who has been refreshingly honest about her journey with relationships.
In a 2022 Glamour UK interview, Venus acknowledged the challenges of transitioning from single life, noting, “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.”
Standing just an inch shorter than Preti at 6 feet 1, recent photos from Rome capture their easy affection, showing tender moments between tennis sets as Williams rested her head on Preti’s shoulder and shared intimate embraces.
The engagement ring, that has all the world going gaga over, features a square-cut diamond nestled in a pavé-set band, making quite the statement as Williams practiced her legendary serves while Preti watched admiringly from the sidelines.
As Venus approaches her 45th birthday this summer, she continues to defy expectations both personally and professionally, recently asserting, “I’m not done with the racket yet.”
If the engagement rumors prove true, it appears she’s mastering the art of balancing personal happiness with professional passion, much like her sister Serena has done.
The potential union would add another chapter to the Williams sisters’ parallel journeys, from sharing the tennis court to sharing the experience of finding love later in life, each in their own time and on their own terms.
