Tiger Woods and Venus Williams: Just Friends or More?

Last updated: October 10, 2026

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Are Tiger Woods and Venus Williams a couple? The short answer is no — they have never been in a romantic relationship. But the two legends of golf and tennis share something arguably more interesting: a decades-long parallel journey as trailblazers, mutual admirers, and now even business partners.

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Quick Answer

No, Tiger Woods and Venus Williams are not together and never have been. Each is happily in their own relationship: Williams married Italian actor Andrea Preti in September 2025, while Woods has been publicly dating Vanessa Trump since March 2025. What links the two superstars is admiration and business — Williams co-owns a golf team in Woods’ TGL league, and the pair have been publicly compared and celebrated together for nearly three decades.

Illustration for Tiger Woods and Venus Williams

Who Are Tiger Woods and Venus Williams?

Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfers of all time, a 15-time major champion whose dominance from the late 1990s transformed golf’s popularity and prize money worldwide. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2019), he remains one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet.

Venus Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, an Olympic gold medalist, and a pioneer who helped redefine women’s tennis alongside her sister Serena. Off the court, she is an entrepreneur and fashion designer. She famously married Italian actor Andrea Preti in September 2025, in a private ceremony on the island of Ischia, Italy, followed by a second celebration in Florida.

What Actually Connects Them: A Timeline

  • 1997: As a 17-year-old tennis prodigy storming to the US Open final, Williams was dubbed “the Tiger Woods of tennis.” Asked whether she could become the next Tiger Woods, she said she would hope so, pointing to what they had in common: both were different from the mainstream, and both were shattering expectations as young Black superstars.
  • 2000–2002: Their careers ran on parallel tracks. Woods dominated golf while Williams captured four Grand Slam titles between Wimbledon 2000 and the US Open 2001, plus Olympic singles gold at the Sydney 2000 Games, and reached world No. 1 in February 2002.
  • April 2019: When Woods staged his stunning comeback to win the Masters after years of injuries and personal turmoil, Serena Williams admitted she was moved to tears watching him — a public moment of admiration from the Williams family.
  • September 2022: Woods flew to New York to watch Serena’s farewell run at the US Open, sitting in her family box. When Venus joined the box, Woods and Venus embraced warmly and chatted — a candid moment that delighted fans and photographers alike.
  • 2023: The connection became official in business: Woods and Rory McIlroy launched TGL, a new tech-infused golf league, and Serena, Venus, and Serena’s husband Alexis Ohanian signed on as owners of the Los Angeles Golf Club — one of the league’s six founding teams.
  • January 2024: TGL’s inaugural season began with the Los Angeles Golf Club competing in the league Woods co-founded — making Venus a business partner of Tiger’s in every practical sense.
  • March 2025: Woods went public about his real relationship, confirming on social media that he was dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
  • January–September 2025: Meanwhile, Venus’s own love story took center stage: Italian actor Andrea Preti proposed to her on January 31, 2025, during a getaway in Tuscany, and the couple married in Italy that September.

Latest Updates

As of October 2026, both stars are firmly settled in their own relationships. Venus Williams and Andrea Preti are married, and she made an emotional return to professional tennis in 2025 — winning a tour-level singles match at the DC Open at age 45, reaching the US Open doubles quarterfinals with Leylah Fernandez, and confirming she would compete at the ASB Classic in Auckland in January 2026.

Tiger Woods continues his relationship with Vanessa Trump; the pair appeared together at the TGL finals in March 2026 and at a Florida courthouse hearing in September 2026, where she stood by him as he resolved a reckless-driving case. Woods remains focused on his golf course design business, TGL, and limited tournament appearances as he manages long-running injuries.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are Tiger Woods and Venus Williams dating?
No. They are friends and business associates — not a couple. They were never romantically linked.

Have Tiger Woods and Venus Williams ever dated?
No. There has never been any credible report of a relationship between them. Their story together is one of parallel greatness and mutual respect across two sports.

Is Venus Williams married?
Yes. She married Italian actor Andrea Preti in September 2025 in Ischia, Italy, and the couple later held a second celebration in Florida.

Is Tiger Woods married?
No. Woods is not currently married. He has been in a public relationship with Vanessa Trump since March 2025.

Faizi is a content writer at AllAboutFacts (hotteamnames.com), covering vocabulary, language tips, and everyday explainers.

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