Venus Williams

Williams was engaged to model and actor Andrea Preti after they began dating in July 2024. She identified Preti as her fiancé during an on-court interview after her return at the 2025 D.C. Open, saying that he encouraged her to continue playing.

Her marital status in 2025 is described in two ways. Britannica states that she married Preti in 2025 and held ceremonies in Ischia, Italy, and Palm Beach, Florida, while another contemporary account described the couple as engaged.

Williams learned tennis on public courts in Los Angeles after her father, Richard Williams, began coaching her and her younger sister Serena. The family lived in Compton, California, where the sisters practiced for hours under difficult conditions. Their mother was Oracene Price, and several of their older half-sisters helped with their training.

By age 10, Williams could serve at more than 100 miles per hour and went undefeated on the United States Tennis Association junior tour. The family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1991 so Venus and Serena could train with coach Rick Macci, who offered them free lessons after recognizing their potential.

Williams turned professional in 1994. In 1997 she became the first unseeded women's finalist of the U.S. Open in the Open Era, losing to Martina Hingis.

Williams won her first Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2000, defeating Lindsay Davenport in both finals. She successfully defended both titles in 2001, when she also defeated Serena in the first prime-time broadcast of a women's singles final at the U.S. Open.

She won Wimbledon again in 2005 and 2007, then defeated Serena in the 2008 final for her fifth championship at the tournament. Her seven Grand Slam singles titles comprise five Wimbledon victories and two U.S. Open victories.

Williams reached the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals in 2017, losing to Serena and Garbiñe Muguruza respectively. Her 2017 season also included a semifinal appearance at the U.S. Open and a runner-up finish at the WTA Finals. She has won 49 WTA singles titles and 22 doubles titles, with her Grand Slam doubles victories coming primarily alongside Serena.

At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Williams won the women's singles gold medal and teamed with Serena to win the women's doubles title. She became the first woman since Helen Wills Moody in 1924 to win singles and doubles gold at the same Olympic Games.

Williams and Serena won women's doubles gold again at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. The pair's Olympic partnership produced three gold medals across those Games.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Williams and Serena lost in the first round of women's doubles. Venus later reached the mixed doubles final with Rajeev Ram, where they won silver. Her four gold medals and one silver medal made her the most decorated tennis player in Olympic history.

Williams was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome in 2011, an autoimmune disorder associated with dryness, fatigue, and chronic pain. She adjusted her diet and training schedule to manage the condition while continuing to compete. In 2012, she and Serena won their 13th Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon.

Her later career was also affected by an ankle injury at the 2021 Australian Open and a knee injury at Wimbledon in 2023. She withdrew from the 2023 U.S. Open after tearing her hamstring and later underwent surgery for uterine fibroids, which had caused painful symptoms for many years.

After a 16-month absence from professional tennis, Williams returned at the 2025 D.C. Open. She defeated Peyton Stearns to earn her first singles victory since 2023 and became the tour's second-oldest woman to win a singles match. She also returned to Grand Slam competition at the 2025 U.S. Open.

Williams founded V Starr Interiors, an interior design company that works on residential projects, and launched the clothing line EleVen. She also earned a certificate in interior design and has pursued interests in art and writing.

In 2010, Williams co-authored Come To Win: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession. The book features interviews with figures including Richard Branson and Condoleezza Rice.

She has worked with UNESCO on gender-equality initiatives and has been involved in producing Behind the Racquet, a planned docuseries examining mental health among tennis players.