Venus Williams shares photos from her engagement to actor Andrea Perti

Venus Williams's dedicated fanbase was left thrilled after the tennis legend finally posted photos from her engagement to Andrea Perti.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion played her first match in over a year at the 2025 Citi Open. Incredibly, the 45-year-old immediately returned to form and defeated her compatriot, Peyton Stearns, in front of an adoring crowd.

As usual, Williams did a post-match interview as the winner. That was when she surprised many in the crowd by announcing that her fiancé, Andrea Perti, was in the crowd watching the battle against Stearns.

Perti is a model, actor, and director. The fact that the pair were in a relationship was not widely known before that moment, since Williams had been away from tennis for a lengthy period and had not discussed her romantic life in detail while absent.

For the first time, Williams shared photos from their engagement on January 31st, 2025, in an Instagram post. That was accompanied by photos of the pair looking content in each other's company after that momentous moment.

In the post-match interview after defeating Stearns, Williams also said that Perti was one of the most significant reasons for her returning to the WTA Tour. He believed in the American, which made the five-time Wimbledon winner believe in herself.

As a tennis icon, Williams has built a worldwide fan base of millions. Unsurprisingly, her Instagram post was met with several responses offering congratulations and wishing her a terrific future with Perti.

Despite being 45, Williams is not planning to limit her participation in 2026 to American tournaments. She will play her first tournament of 2026 during the season's opening week at the 2026 ASB Classic in Auckland.

Williams has not played a match since losing a close battle against Karolina Muchova at the 2025 US Open. Competing so well against a player who reached the semifinal at Flushing Meadows in 2023 and 2024 was a terrific effort.

The worldwide fan favorite took the rest of 2025 off after that effort. Rather than traveling for the Asian swing, Williams thought it would be a better idea to practice for the new season instead.

Williams has played at the ASB Classic a few times previously, and her best result was reaching the quarterfinal. The WTA 250 event has attracted several high-profile players throughout its history.

Coco Gauff won the 2023 and 2024 editions of the tournament. Rather than attempt to secure a third consecutive title in New Zealand, the 21-year-old elected to represent Team USA at the 2025 United Cup and will do so again in 2026.

Naomi Osaka made the 2025 ASB Classic final. Unfortunately, the Japanese star could not finish the match because of an injury, handing Clara Tauson her first title. It was undoubtedly not how the Dane wanted to claim a maiden WTA crown.

Williams's place on the entry list continues that history of top players competing at the tournament. Her presence will undoubtedly boost ticket sales for the event in January.