A Grand Slam of a Night: Venus Williams Wins, Announces Engagement

It was a huge evening for the 45-year old tennis player and the younger sister of Serena Williams, Venus Williams easily cruised past Peyton Stearns and to reclaim the title for being the oldest female tennis player to a win a singles match in WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) since 2004 and pretty much later announced her engagement with the Danish actor Andrea Preti.

Venus Williams on Her Win

Venus Williams defeated Peyton Stearns by 6-3 and 6-4 in the WTA singles. It was a hard-fought win for the 45-year-old who returned in competitive action after a 16-month absence from tennis on Monday. It was also William’s first win over Stearns since 2023 in Cincinnati.

With this win, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion became the oldest female tennis player to win a WTA singles match after 47-year-old Martina Navratilova, who won Wimbledon in 2004. Williams stated after the opening round of the match that “I think I just attacked the whole time. It’s just trying to find the right balance between going to hard and not enough. It’s the same because this is what I do, but at the same time, at the time it was imperative for me to do it. Now I don’t have to do this, but I have the same fire and the same want to win.”

​She further stated that in some ways, she was still getting back into that and that when one does it every day, everything is natural. She added that it did not feel as natural now, but she hoped she could get back to that.

Williams on her engagement with Andrea Preti

After her glamorous victory, Williams announced his engagement to the 37-year-old Danish actor Andrea Preti and also stated how he has assisted her in returning to the sport. Williams highlighted his engagement with Preti and stated that “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? You guys don’t know how much work goes into this, like it’s 9 to 5 except you’re running the whole time.”

She further said that ‘lifting weights was just like dying and that she repeated it the next day. She mentioned that he encouraged her to get through it and that it was wonderful to be there, adding that he had never seen her play.’

Venus Williams will be in action against the Polish Magdalena Frech in the WTA Round of 16.