Tennis legend Venus Williams has opened up about the practical and deeply personal checklist she ran through before saying “I do” to actor-model Andrea Preti.

Williams, 45, married Preti, 37, in two ceremonies: a private service on Sept. 18, 2025 in Ischia, Italy, followed by a multi-day celebration in Palm Beach, Florida, that culminated in a courthouse ceremony on Dec. 19, 2025. The couple’s romance went public in 2024 after they met at Milan Fashion Week. 

In a recent interview with her famous sister Serena Williams on their “Stockton Street” podcast (during the wedding), Venus revealed she weighed three specific things before committing: family, values, and work ethic. 

Preti shared that because of his family values, it was always his dream to get married, and Venus said she was on a path to “nowhere. A path to the club. A path to foolishness. Whatever you can think of, but not married,” she joked. 

Venus shared how they met at the Gucci fashion show in Milan and Preti was immediately thrust into the full Williams family experience as Venus’ mother and sisters were there as well. In fact, her sister Lyn got Preti’s number for Venus because she knew her sister liked him. Preti made his intentions clear, and Venus was blown away by his urgency in calling, spending time, and engaging with her family.

“He came to London and met everybody the first day,” Venus shared. She told Preti she had to have breakfast with her family as they are extremely close and were all together in the same city, and invited Preti to come. She was impressed with how he handled himself with “five bold, powerful women” in her family. Serena added that their family is very “family-oriented,” and Preti sharing those values was “nice to see.”

“Some people are intimidated by that. ‘Oh, why does your family have to be around? This is too much!’” Venus said. And Serena quickly added, “When you marry Venus or when you marry me, you marry the family.”

When it came to sharing her top three qualities in a partner, Venus detailed what mattered most to her. “I always tell people when you get married, and you're thinking about a relationship for eternity, it's about good family, good values…and has a job. People have to work. So if they don't work, you know, it could present a problem depending on your situation. But those are the three

most important things,” Venus said.

Those points, Williams said, mattered more than flash or spectacle. Venus found a partner whose family and work ethic matched hers. 

“Your family is incredible girls, because you made me feel like, from the first time, a part of it. I always felt safe with all of you,” Preti shared. “And after a bit, your mom treated me like a son. So it's very easy to stay around you girls and stay around the kids…the girls, they're so lovely. For me, It's been very easy because this what I always wanted from my family and always

what I was wishing for. Taking care of my family, taking care of your family is the same today.”