Venus Williams gushed over her ‘favorite person’ Andrea Preti and hailed her husband’s support for her tennis career just hours after they stepped out together at the Met Gala.
The tennis ace served as a co-chair for this year’s glitzy event in New York City on Monday night along with the likes of Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Anna Wintour.
Williams married actor Preti last year – they had one wedding in Florida and another in Italy – and he has consistently been in her box at tournaments in recent months.
Speaking about the support he gives her on the tennis court, Williams joked that her Italian beau probably wants her to win more than she does.
‘It’s the best. I never had that kind of support,’ Williams said during a post-Met Gala stop at Raising Cane’s restaurant in Harlem.
‘Of course I had my mom, my dad and my sisters but to have a partner there who cares for you, loves you and probably wants to win and fight with you more than you do is very rare.
Venus Williams gushed over ‘favorite person’ Andrea Preti after they attended the Met Gala
Williams served as a co-chair this year along with the likes of Beyonce and Nicole Kidman
Williams stopped off at a Raising Cane’s restaurant in Harlem after the dazzling fashion event
Williams hailed her husband’s support as she continues to play at the top level of tennis at 45
‘So I’m really fortunate and really blessed to have him. He’s my favorite person.’
Williams and Preti met in 2024 at a fashion show in Milan that the tennis legend, who at the time had been single for six years, nearly skipped.
The tennis legend, 45, and Preti, 37, made their debut at the annual fashion event as a married couple, appearing on the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner opted for a custom light-reflecting crystal black gown by Swarovski with a pearl-adorned neck plate.
In keeping with the theme of the evening – Costume Art – Williams’s curve-hugging gown was reportedly inspired by her painting that was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, according to Vogue.
The athlete was one of the first to hit the red carpet, walking with her model husband, who looked dashing in a black tuxedo and burgundy bow tie with a matching pocket square.
She was joined by her sister and fellow tennis legend Serena, who wore a shining silver gown and golden accessories as she arrived on the red carpet.
Venus revealed last month that she is considering playing in this year’s French Open as she bids to end a run of 10-straight singles losses.
‘Yeah, I mean, to get my feet dirty, this was a great start,’ she said after losing at the Madrid Open last month.
‘I’m not able to play Rome, I have other commitments, unfortunately, so I’m really super sad about that, actually. My husband is Italian, so we feel sad that we can’t be there. So we would love to keep it going on the clay.’
