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India Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Venus Williams confirms she's engaged to Andrea Preti after historic win at DC Open
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams confirmed that she's engaged to actor Andrea Preti. The veteran made the revelations after her singles match against Peyton Stearns in the Round of 32 clash of the Washington Open 2025 on Tuesday, July her 6–3, 6–4 victory, Williams became the second-oldest player in history to win a WTA tour-level match, trailing only Martina Navratilova. While Navratilova achieved the milestone at 45 years and 242 days, Venus reached it at 45 years and 34 about her relationship with Andrea Preti, Williams was first romantically linked to the 'One More Day' actor in July 2024, when the two were spotted enjoying a cozy boating trip in Nerano, Italy. Engagement rumors began swirling in February after she was seen wearing a diamond ring on her left hand. 'My fiance is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing,' Williams said after her first singles win since the Cincinnati Masters in 2023.'He encouraged me'Williams, who made her comeback to the tennis circuit after a 16-month hiatus, expressed gratitude to her fiance for his unwavering support and motivation, crediting him with inspiring her to keep pushing through the tough training sessions.'There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? You guys don't know how much work goes into this, like it's 9 to 5 except you're running the whole time. Lifting weights and just like dying and then you repeat it the next day. So he encouraged me to get through this and it's wonderful to be here. He's never seen me play,' Williams in Denmark in 1988 and raised in Italy, Andrea Preti is a multi-talented creative who began his career as a fashion model before transitioning into acting and for Williams, she now faces a formidable challenge in the singles Round of 16, taking on Poland's Magdalena Frech, the current World No. 24 and fifth Wednesday, Williams and her American partner Hailey Baptiste exited the women's doubles after a 4–6, 6–3, 6–10 loss to Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai.- EndsTrending Reel
India Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
45-year-old Venus Williams becomes second oldest to win WTA Tour level match
On Tuesday, July 22, 45-year-old Venus Williams became a part of history after defeating Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 in the Round of 32 at the Washington Open. The American legend became the second-oldest player ever to win a WTA tour-level match. Notably, Stearns is 22 years younger than Williams, who had already won four Grand Slam titles before Stearns was Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova remains the oldest player to achieve this feat, winning a tour-level match in 2004 at 45 years and 242 days. Williams secured her victory at 45 years and 34 win marked her first singles victory since the Cincinnati Masters in August 2023. She had been sidelined from singles play since the Miami Open in March 2024, following surgery to remove uterine moment Venus Williams won her first tour-level singles match since August 2023 #MubadalaCitiDCOpen Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 23, 2025'Praying for good health' On her return, Williams impressed with powerful groundstrokes and commanding serves. Speaking after the match, the veteran said she had worked hard in training despite battling self-doubt.'Each week that I was training, I was, like, 'Oh, my God, I don't know if I'm good enough yet.' And then there would be weeks where I would leap forward. And there would be two weeks where I was, like, 'Oh, God, it's not happening.' Even the week leading up, (I thought), 'Oh, my gosh, I need to improve so much more.' So it's all a head game,' Williams said after the match.'I'm just constantly praying for good health, so that way I could have an opportunity to play with good health. A lot of this for me is being able to come back and try to play at a level (and) to play healthy,' Williams on July 21, Williams made a brilliant return to the court after a 16-month break. Teaming up with fellow American Hailey Baptiste, she defeated Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1 in the women's doubles Round of Williams faces a tough challenge in the singles Round of 16, where she will take on current World No. 24 and fifth seed Magdalena Frech of Poland.- EndsTrending Reel
India Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Venus Williams returns to tennis, hopes sister Serena will also join the fun
Venus Williams is making a long-awaited return to tennis, driven by nothing more than her enduring "love of the game"-and perhaps, a quiet hope that her sister Serena might also be tempted to join a 16-month absence, the 45-year-old is set to compete at the 2025 Citi DC Open, her first tournament since the 2024 Miami Open where she lost in straight sets to Diana Shnaider. She has not won a singles match since the 2023 Cincinnati Masters and spent much of the last year recovering from a lingering knee injury. But for Venus, returning to the court isn't about chasing not?" the seven-time Grand Slam champion said with a smile when asked why she was coming back. "This time I had been hitting the ball. And of course I love the game, and the hard courts-it's my favourite surface, what I feel comfortable on. So, all those different factors." Venus will face Peyton Stearns in the opening round in Washington-a first-time meeting between the two. While much of the spotlight will fall on her comeback, the attention hasn't entirely been hers. Serena Williams, the younger of the iconic sisters and a 23-time Grand Slam champion, was recently spotted practising, fuelling speculation that she too might consider returning to the sport she dominated for two officially retired at the US Open in 2022, but Venus, never one to rule anything out, hinted that her sister might not be done just yet. "I think there's still a little spark," she suggested lightly, though stopping short of any her time away from the tour, Venus dabbled in commentary, joining TNT Sports' coverage team at the French Open. Reflecting on that experience, she admitted it was both enjoyable and nerve-wracking."I think it could be very easy to say the wrong thing, is what I realised when I was live on the air," she said. "I was, like, 'Just be careful. Don't say the wrong thing. Don't be too opinionated,' because I have a lot of opinions, and many of them possibly unfounded. So, I'm glad I got out of it without being cancelled!"But tennis is where her heart remains. "As a young person, I wanted to play the game, be a champion. I loved the game so much, I didn't realise that it would be so much bigger than myself," she said."And seeing these young women doing positive things with their life, winning tournaments, inspiring the next generation, too, it's like I could have never imagined that. So, it's like icing on the cake, cherries on top with the nuts and all the fixings. It's beautiful."For now, Venus is back. And if her enthusiasm is anything to go by, there may yet be a Williams sisters moment to savour again.- EndsTrending Reel
NBC Sports
20-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper all withdraw from Toronto tournament with injuries
Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam title winner Novak Djokovic and No. 5-ranked Jack Draper all withdrew Sunday from the Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto that starts in a week, citing injuries. The No. 1-ranked Sinner blamed his right elbow, which he hurt in a fall in the fourth round at the All England Club on the way to his first title there and fourth major trophy. He won his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto in 2023. 'Winning that title in Toronto two years ago was the start of a really special moment for me, but after speaking with my team, I have to recover,' Sinner said. Djokovic said a groin injury was why he pulled out from an event he has won four times. He lost to Sinner in the semifinals at Wimbledon. Draper will miss Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters next month because of a problem with his left arm, meaning he won't have any hard-court tuneup tournament before the U.S. Open begins on Aug. 24. 'After Wimbledon I picked up an injury in my left arm, nothing serious, but I have to make sure it recovers fully for the rest of the season,' Draper posted on social media. 'Unfortunately, I won't be able to compete in Toronto and Cincinnati…. See you in NYC!'
20-07-2025
- Sport
Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper all withdraw from Toronto tournament with injuries
TORONTO -- TORONTO (AP) — Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam title winner Novak Djokovic and No. 5-ranked Jack Draper all withdrew Sunday from the Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto that starts in a week, citing injuries. The No. 1-ranked Sinner blamed his right elbow, which he hurt in a fall in the fourth round at the All England Club on the way to his first title there and fourth major trophy. He won his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto in 2023. 'Winning that title in Toronto two years ago was the start of a really special moment for me, but after speaking with my team, I have to recover,' Sinner said. Djokovic said a groin injury was why he pulled out from an event he has won four times. He lost to Sinner in the semifinals at Wimbledon. Draper will miss Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters next month because of a problem with his left arm, meaning he won't have any hard-court tuneup tournament before the U.S. Open begins on Aug. 24. 'After Wimbledon I picked up an injury in my left arm, nothing serious, but I have to make sure it recovers fully for the rest of the season,' Draper posted on social media. 'Unfortunately, I won't be able to compete in Toronto and Cincinnati…. See you in NYC!'
