Venus Williams has always lived life on her own terms, including in her romantic relationships. Over the years, she’s been linked to a few high-profile names, but never shared more than she needed to. A few days ago, news broke on the internet about her marriage to a renowned Italian actor. This prompted her love life into the limelight once again. It piqued fans’ curiosity about who Venus Williams had previously dated, and this article will give a breakdown of her dating history, previous partners, and relationship timeline.
Venus Williams is a professional American tennis player who has won many titles and Olympic gold medals playing for her team and country. Although she rarely shares details about her private life, she has been linked to high-profile names, and fans have occasionally spotted her past partners at public events or on social media.
Recently, outside tennis, Venus began a new phase of her life. She got married to a Danish-born Italian actor and model, Andrea Preti, in a five-day wedding celebration in Palm Beach, Florida. But who has the reputable player been involved with before finding Mr right? A breakdown of Venus Williams’ previous relationships leading up to her recent marriage.
Venus Williams’ Previous Relationships: A Timeline of Her Love Life
Hank Kuehne, the Golfer
Venus Williams’ first public relationship was with American golfer Hank Kuehne.
The couple were first linked in 2007 after they were seen together at tennis matches and red carpets. They dated for three years, and at one point, fans even believed they were engaged.
However, they quietly split in 2010, and Venus, being a private person with her personal affairs, never spoke publicly about why the relationship ended.
Fashion Designer, Elio Pis
Elio Pis is a Cuban fashion model and entrepreneur who began dating Venus Williams in 2012 after modeling for her clothing line, EleVen (now Eleven by Venus Williams).
They first appeared together publicly at the 2012 US open where they were seen holding hands and kissing in the corridors of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The couple had a quiet and respectful breakup in 2017 with no information about the reason for the split. The public appearance of Venus Williams with a millionaire Nicholas Hammond in late 2017 made it clear that the relationship had ended.
Nicholas Hammond
Nicholas “Nicky” Hammond, a private financier and heir to the Annenberg family fortune was romantically linked with Venus Williams in 2017. The couple drew public attention when they both attended Selena Williams’s wedding together in November.
Thereafter, they were often seen at Venus’ tennis matches.There were rumours that Nicholas had proposed to Venus but it was later debunked to be a “friendship ring” gift.
Nicholas and Venus broke up in June 2019. It was reported that the reason for the split was the 12-year age difference, and they wanted different things at that point in their lives. While Venus was ready to settle down maritally, Nicholas was not ready.
A step to forever with Andrea Preti
Andrea Preti is an Italian actor and model. He was born in Denmark and moved to Italy as a teenager where he started working as a model for major fashion houses before he started pursuing a career in acting after training in New York City.
In her interview with Vogue, Venus recalled that she and Andrea met at a Gucci show during Milan Fashion week 2024. An event that neither of them planned to attend. After about six months of dating, Andrea asked Venus to marry him. The proposal took place in Tuscany on January 31 2025.
In July 2025, during a post-match interview, Venus confirmed the engagement by giving credit to Andrea for encouraging her to continue playing tennis.
They got married in two separate ceremonies. The first one was at Ischia, Italy, on September 18, 2025. And the second one was a legal courthouse wedding and a five-day celebration with family and friends at Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2025.
Whether it was her sporty romance with Hank Kuehne or the fashion-flavored fling with Elio Pis, Venus kept dating classy, lowkey, and her relationship history fully shows it. Now officially a newlywed, Venus is stepping into this next chapter with the same grace and confidence she’s always shown on and off the court.
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