For over three decades, Venus Williams has dazzled the world with her powerful serves, relentless spirit, and timeless elegance on the tennis court. Yet in recent weeks, her spotlight hasn’t just been about forehands and volleys—it’s been about love, celebration, and the next big chapter of her life. ‘Queen V’ is ready to become a married woman!

As whispers of her highly anticipated Italian wedding continue filling the air with joy, Williams offered fans a glimpse into her bridal aura, stepping out in an elegant look that she proudly described as “Mrs Preti.” The bride-to-be was spotted in Italy on September 18 ahead of the couple’s wedding, wearing a sun hat with an Italian phrase that translates to “Mrs Preti.” She was seen wearing a white dress and black tennis shoes as she sat in the backseat of a golf cart that drove around the village of Sant’Angelo. Longtime admirers and her friends couldn’t help but gush over her transformation from tennis legend to bride-to-be. For fans who have followed her journey from teenage prodigy to one of the sport’s all-time greats, this moment feels like witnessing another milestone, one every bit as historic as her Grand Slam triumphs.

Onlookers reported seeing members of the wedding party wearing ‘Team Groom’ and ‘Team Bride’ T-shirts. Now, shifting our focus to the groom for a bit, the seven-time Grand Slam champion finally found love away from the game. Andrea Preti is one of Italy’s most popular film stars. Although he had initially started working as a fashion model, he later decided to pursue his dream of acting and moved to New York to study at the Susan Batson Academy. After working in a string of TV commercials, Preti broke through in 2015 with the film One More Day, a film that he wrote, directed, and starred in. 

Just like Venus Williams, Andrea Preti is also a renowned figure in his own field, but how did they get on with each other? Well, Williams and Preti were first linked together in July 2024 when they were spotted together in a boat in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast. Following that, in February 2025, engagement speculations began swirling after the couple was seen leaving a training session in Rome with Williams wearing a sparkling diamond ring on her left hand. Later on, rumors intensified when they attended the Dsquared2 Fall/Winter 2025 fashion show. But this time, the ring was seemingly a bit different from the previous one.

Ever since their first meeting, the couple has engaged frequently with each other on social media, often commenting on each other’s IG posts. As per multiple reports, Williams even held an intimate bachelorette party in Italy in July, with younger sister Serena Williams among the guests. 

Interestingly, the confirmation about their marriage came shortly after Venus Williams’ historic win against Peyton Stearns in the R32 of the Citi Open. Following her impressive 6-3,6-4 victory against her compatriot, Williams said, “My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing. 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.”

Now, since we’ve arrived at the day that most of her fans have been waiting for all this time, let’s take a glimpse at the venue of this special event and how her sister, Serena, is helping her out with presumably wedding planning.

Serena Williams lends her touch as elder sister, Venus Williams prepares for wedding glam

As per the reports published by Ansa, Venus Williams and Andrea Preti are set to tie the knot imminently, with their wedding set to take place on Friday on the Italian island of Ischia. Talking about this venue for the special event, Ischia is a stunning island off the Italian coast. It’s located approximately 30 kilometers, or 19 miles, from Naples. The small island sits inside the Gulf of Naples and is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands group. The mountainous island of Ischia is known for its stunning scenery and has plenty of attractions.

According to various sources, Williams and Preti are set to get married at the Lighthouse Punta Imperatore, a hotel on the southwest of the island. It also claims that although the wedding will take place at the Lighthouse, the wedding party will then move to Lisola, a restaurant approximately 3.5 km up the coast.

Now talking about the most special guest at this event, Serena Williams recently opened up about how she’s helping her sister with what appears to be wedding preparations, giving fans a rare peek into the sisters’ private world. Speaking with PEOPLE, ahead of the launch of their podcast, the younger sister highlighted her close bond with Venus. “We talk every day now because we have so much going on. Well, let me rephrase that. Venus has so much planning that she’s doing that I’m just talking to her all the time,” said Serena Williams. She also added, “I’m the person that gets things done.” From making the plans for her to assisting her in styling, Serena is always there for Venus.

Elaborating more on that, she added, “She wanted literally 14 hairstyles — and she was like, ‘What do you think’? So she sent me her options and within 30 minutes I had them not only done, but in a PDF file, what hairstyle looked best on everyone…I’m the person that arranges things, I’m like the planner. I plan everything like the event.” 

Excitement is quite high among Venus Williams’ family and fans for this special day, but how excited are you about seeing her tie the knot with Andrea Preti? Share your thoughts in the comment box.