Venus Williams breaks 11-match losing streak as husband Andrea Preti’s comment on Katie Boulter goes viral

Venus Williams finally had a reason to smile in Madrid, and it came with a special moment off the court too. The American tennis star ended her long losing run in doubles after teaming up with Britain’s Katie Boulter at the Madrid Open, where they defeated China’s Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 in the opening round.

The win was important for Venus Williams because it became her first victory of the 2026 season and also ended her 11-match losing streak in doubles. After the match, Boulter shared a happy post on Instagram, calling the experience special. That is where Venus’ husband, Italian actor and model Andrea Preti, joined the moment with a warm public message for Boulter.

Katie Boulter says Venus Williams calmed her nerves as Andrea Preti reacts to Madrid Open partnership

Katie Boulter posted photos from the Madrid Open and wrote, “I had the most fun.” Andrea Preti, who married Venus Williams last year, replied with a cheerful and supportive comment. He wrote, “Brave !!!! see u soon Katie.”

The message showed the friendly bond between Boulter and Venus away from the court as well. Boulter is also preparing for her own wedding later this year with Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur. Venus had earlier joked that she would be happy to give her new doubles partner some marriage advice.

Boulter later spoke honestly about how nervous she felt before playing with the seven-time Grand Slam champion. She revealed that Venus helped her stay calm before the match even started.

“I had nerves coming in this morning but you [Venus] calmed me down in the warm-up. We just enjoyed it. We had the mindset of going out with a smile on our face,” Katie Boulter said.

She also praised Venus’ energy and personality on court. “She has great energy - I do not even know if Serena [Williams] has this energy,” Boulter said.

Madrid Open was the fifth doubles tournament of the year for Venus Williams after playing at the ASB Classic, the Australian Open, the ATX Open, and the Miami Open. Before Boulter, she had partnered with Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elina Svitolina, Peyton Stearns, and Leylah Fernandez.

However, the good run did not last long. Venus Williams and Katie Boulter later lost in the second round to Hsieh Su-wei and Sofia Kenin. In singles, Venus also suffered another defeat, losing to Kaitlin Quevedo, marking her 10th straight singles loss.

Now, the former World No. 1 hopes to receive a wildcard entry for the French Open as she looks for a stronger comeback.