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Time off from tennis paid other dividends. It was in 2024 that Venus met her husband\u2014at a Gucci runway show in Milan. Preti introduced himself and the two struck up a conversation. \u201cShe speaks Italian very, very well,\u201d Preti says. And when a text relationship ensued, \u201cshe asked for restaurant suggestions in Milan, and I said I want to see<\/em> you,\u201d he remembers. They connected in London, where Venus was cohosting the Serpentine Summer Party. Venus, who\u2019d been single for six years, quickly identified Preti, an old-school romantic, as the One.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past a guy would call you; he would tell you you looked beautiful, that he loved your outfit. In this day and age, that doesn\u2019t really happen,\u201d she laments. \u201cBut Andrea did all those things. The first time he called, I thought, Is something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n The tight-knit Williams family swept Preti into the fold. \u201cHe is her biggest cheerleader,\u201d Serena says. \u201cIt\u2019s rare to find someone who loves you wholeheartedly for who you are, not what you represent.\u201d Preti felt their welcome right away. \u201cWe were very close,\u201d Preti says. \u201cWe could talk about everything, fashion, movies, lots of things. They didn\u2019t make me feel like I was outside.\u201d<\/p>\n In lieu of a honeymoon, Venus and Preti have been together on the road, Venus securing wild card bids to the Australian Open, the ATX Open in Austin, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open. Preti has cheered her on from her player\u2019s box, Venus\u2019s 18-year-old Havanese pup, Harry, perched on his lap. On the rare off-day, the newlyweds like to stay close\u2014as in, locked-in-a-room close. \u201cWe love escape rooms,\u201d Venus admits. \u201cWe work well together, but he definitely likes to ask for hints, and I\u2019m like, Let\u2019s just hold on. I wanna figure this out first.\u201d<\/p>\n In May the couple will make their debut in grander confines, at the Met Gala. Venus is serving as co-chair, alongside Beyonc\u00e9 and Nicole Kidman. This year\u2019s exhibition, \u201cCostume Art,\u201d sets fashion alongside the dressed form in fine art through centuries\u2014and through a spectrum of body types. \u201cI love the theme. It\u2019s a perfect fit for me,\u201d Venus says. \u201cIt\u2019s even more important today because people feel so much pressure to look a certain way. Though there\u2019s so much beauty in\u00a0difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Venus herself reached the height of five eleven at 13. \u201cI definitely had an awkward period, but I didn\u2019t know I was in it,\u201d she says and laughs (she\u2019d eventually grow to six one). \u201cI didn\u2019t go through a period like, \u2018Oh my God, I\u2019m so tall. Guys are this tall.\u2019 I was trying to figure out how to beat these people who were coming for me,\u201d she says. \u201cI was focused on being the best player in the world. I didn\u2019t have time to think about whether I was winning some imaginary beauty contest.\u201d<\/p>\n Venus famously loves fashion\u2014last year at the US Open she wore a parade of New York designers, including Khaite, Luar, and Who Decides War, onto court. Gabriela Hearst, who dressed her for the 2022 Met Gala in a black Chlo\u00e9 suit and sunglasses, adores working with her. \u201cVenus looked so elegant,\u201d Hearst recalls of the Met look, a play on the film Men in Black.<\/em> \u201cAs a superathlete, she is very aware of her body and knows exactly what she wants.\u201d Of late Venus has been simplifying her wardrobe. The cream-colored wool jacket she wears to our interview is Max Mara, which she\u2019s had for a long time, and the matching quarter-zip sweater underneath was a purchase from \u201cBezos Atelier,\u201d she jokes. \u201cI had to recover from a shopping addiction,\u201d she goes on. \u201cIt was horrible. Too much excess.\u201d The remedy has been to donate much of the fashion she owns\u2014handbags especially. (\u201cMy dog is my best accessory,\u201d she says with pride.) A look she\u2019s kept is the first one she spent prize money on, a Dolce & Gabbana corset she bought at 19.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n