History was in the making on October 31, 1994. Stepping foot on the tennis court as a pro for the first time, 14-year-old Venus Williams had no idea she’d revolutionize the sport forever. Not only did the player become the first African-American woman to in the Open Era to achieve No. 1 in 2002, but she was also the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games (2000), after Helen Wills Moody in 1924. Her off-court accomplishments also ran far and wide, with her greatest feat involving winning the fight for equal play for female players. Hence, that special day, 30 years ago, definitely calls for celebration…

On Thursday, Williams shared a few pictures from her incredible journey on her social media accounts to celebrate the momentous occasion. Several fans and familiar faces across the tennis world congratulated her on her remarkable journey, but the comment that stole the limelight was from an actor-producer aka Williams’ rumored boyfriend, Andrea Preti! 

The tennis phenom shared two pictures from the match where she defeated former NCAA singles champion Shaun Stafford by two sets in the first round. Recalling those fond memories, she captioned her IG post: “30 years ago today, I stepped on the court for my pro debut! 🙏🎾✨.” Unsurprisingly, Preti was among the first to share a heartfelt reaction to the post. He wrote, “Hunny Bonny ❤️“, to which Williams thanked him in the Italian, writing, “@andreapreti88 grazie! ✨👵🏾😅.” Preti also came back with a reply in the same thread writing, “@venuswilliams prego🖖🏻🖖🏽,” which means “you’re welcome!”  

For the unversed: Rumors about the pair’s alleged romance first surfaced in July this year after the duo was spotted on a yacht in the scenic Italian town of Nerano. Neither of them have yet confirmed their relationship. However, their chemistry was palpable when Preti wrapped his arm around his Williams and even gave her a shoulder massage. Just a week later, they were spotted again on the streets of New York, holding hands. The 36-year-old Danish actor wore a black T-shirt and grey sweatpants while his supposed girlfriend was spotted donning a white tank top and green shorts, carrying a jacket of the same color. But who is this Andrea Preti, who seemed to have Queen V’s heart?

As per reports, Andrea Preti is a model-turned-actor, and was born in Denmark before moving to Italy in his teens. His modeling career started at a young age. However, Preti soon realized he was more interested in acting, and move to New York to study at the Susan Batson Academy. Over the years, she appeared in films like the Polish movies Temptation (2023) and Girls to Buy (2021), as well as the TV series A Professor (2021). Apart from that, he’s also a writer, producer, and director—his portfolio includes writing, directing and starring in the 2015 film One More Day, and Wolf Man (2014).

Before Venus Williams, Preti was also linked to model and tennis player Susanna Giovanardi. The duo even appeared on the red carpet together for the Italian premiere of Zendaya’s Challengers. They are no longer dating and have since unfollowed each other on Instagram.

But enough about that as, fans are now completely engrossed in Venus Williams’ whirlwind romance with the Danish star. Having said that, Preti wasn’t the only one who showered love and praise on the post portraying Williams’ incredible milestone…

Venus Williams’ close friend portrays his admiration for the tennis star

Apart from that post, Venus Williams also shared a couple of pictures on her IG stories. In the first story, she captioned, “When you come to play, come to change the game.” In the next one she penned down a long note saying, “This day 30 years ago I brought braids, beads the beginning of a game never seen before in tennis, it was the vision of my day. This day changed my life and I had no idea at 14 years old it would change so many others. So proud of those who came next. Never compromise, be unapologetically and authentically you, and be proud of you, you are and where you come from You never know, you just might change the game.”

We also saw American men’s tennis player and Venus Williams’ close friend, Reilly Opelka comment, “greatness” to her recent IG post. Although Venus Williams has vehemently denied dating rumors with Opelka multiple times in the past, their social media interactions always kept their fans hooked. For example, during the Met Gala 2024, we saw Opelka literally running out of words as he swooned over Venus Williams’ classy look in shining attire. Both of them often show their support for each other in person and on social media. In 2021, Williams was also spotted showing up in several tennis matches featuring Reilly Opelka.

We also saw renowned tennis coaches, Rick Macci and Rennae Stubbs, commenting on Venus Williams’ recent post celebrating her historic feat. Macci wrote, “On fire!! ❤️🔥” in the comment section. Rick Macci has played a pivotal role in shaping the career of the Williams sisters. After watching Venus Williams play for the first time, Macci told her father Richard that she would be the Michael Jordan of tennis. Truly, she has now become a legend of the sport. Even Rennae Stubbs has seen the Williams sisters very closely. She commented, “Omg and i was there !” Truly an icon! 

Share your thoughts on Venus Williams’ incredible journey.