Venus Williams, who made a return to professional sport after 16 months of break, also made a surprising personal announcement.

After becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, Venus thanked her fiance, who was present in the stands at the DC Open.

"My fiance is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing," she said.

Williams`s fiance`s name is Andrea Preti, who is a Danish-born Italian model and actor. The sister of well-known tennis star, Serena Williams, Venus, has been quite private with her relationship with the actor. They were first linked romantically in July 2024 after being spotted boating in Nerano in Italy.