Who Is Venus Williams' Millionaire Boyfriend?

American tennis star Venus Williams will undoubtedly be remembered as an all-time great, but she's spent the majority of her career in the shadow of Serena Williams, the most decorated female player ever. Her younger, more successful sibling has upstaged Venus off the court in recent years, too — Serena was a guest at Meghan Markle's lavish wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, which took place not long after she tied the knot with business mogul, Alexis Ohanian. She may have left it a little late to catch up with Serena professionally, but reports suggest that Venus has gone and bagged herself a new beau with a huge fortune of his own.

Nicholas Hammond is the child of socialite Dana Hammond and her ex-husband, James. Dana's grandmother was the sister of the late Walter Annenberg, who at the height of his career presided over a "vast communications empire" that included titles like TV Guide, Seventeen Magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. When Annenberg passed away in 2002 at the age of 94, half of his reported $4 billion fortune was divided among his relatives, as per his (and his wife's) wishes. "Family wealth should stay within family lines," the will stated (via Los Angeles Times), meaning Dana — and, by extension, Nicholas — presumably became filthy rich.

He's been described as "a wealthy financier who goes between California and New York" by sources close to him, but what else is there to know about Nicholas Hammond? Read on to find out.

Venus Williams definitely wasn't afraid to pack on the PDA when she was dating Elio Pis and she's been exactly the same with Nicholas Hammond, getting up close and personal with him out in the open. In December 2017, the financier and Williams were spotted enjoying a festive date at Tom and Anthony Martignetti's East Pole restaurant, where things got more than a little cozy. "They were cuddled up the entire time they were inside the restaurant, even kissing while waiting to be seated and continuing the affection at their table," a Page Six source confirmed. The lovebirds enjoyed their meal and are said to have split the bill at the end of the night.

According to the insider, the pair had been "going on dates" for some time when they were seen enjoying the cuisine (as well as each other's company) at The East Pole, but things were still "relatively new" at that stage. "I'm not sure she's calling him [her] boyfriend yet," the source said. The frisky dinner date was back in December 2017, however, and things seem to have moved into definite boyfriend territory since then.

Nobody really knew who he was when Venus Williams became romantically linked with him, but Nicholas Hammond has actually been courtside for some of Williams' biggest matches since they started dating. He was first spotted in the Williams family box at the 2018 US Open according to the Daily Mail, and Hammond even made the long trip Down Under to cheer her on at the 2018 Australian Open, Entertainment Tonight confirmed.

The wealthy New Yorker was apparently the talk of the town when he showed up in Melbourne for the first Grand Slam event of the season, with sources close to the Williams camp telling the New York Daily News that Hammond's name was being frequently tossed around during the tournament. His decision to join her on the other side of the world seemed to convince those close to the tennis player that he was interested in more than just adding to his already considerable net worth. "He's definitely not a fortune hunter," the camp insider said. "She's head over heels for him."

Rumors that Venus Williams is engaged have swirled ever since she was spotted wearing a silver diamond band on that finger, but has Nicholas Hammond really put a ring on it? According to legendary Page Six editor Richard Johnson, yes, but it isn't that kind of ring. "It's not an engagement ring, but a 'friendship ring,' one friend of Hammond's told me, and not to be confused with the diamond ring Venus has owned for many years that has sparked speculation in the past." The veteran gossip columnist also contacted a source with intimate knowledge of the situation, who confirmed that wedding bells were not going to be ringing for the pair any time soon. "They are in love," the insider said, "but no one has mentioned any engagement."

Johnson also reached out to Hammond himself for comment, but the muscular millionaire refused to divulge any information about the status of his relationship with Williams. "We have a firm commitment to one another to keep our relationship private," Hammond said. According to New York Daily News intel, the fact that he likes to keep things under the radar was a big plus point for Williams. "She likes that he's very private," a source claimed.

Williams is thought to have been engaged once before. According to Hello!, golfer Hank Kuehne was seen "at her matches between 2007 and 2010," with engagement rumors beginning a year into the relationship.

It may be true that the majority of rich men have a tendency to go for younger women, but Nicholas Hammond takes after his wine-collecting mother in that he's developed a taste for something a little more mature. Venus Williams is 12 years older than the financier, though despite the age gap (and despite the fact that both prefer to keep things private) they've looked more like a pair of teenagers when they've been out and about together, kissing and cuddling without a care in the world. It's a relief for fans of the tennis pro to see her so happy, but the truth is she's been there with a much younger guy before.

Cuban model Elio Pis was only 24 when he began dating Williams, who was 32 at the time. The pair's relationship was made public knowledge in 2013 when photos of them embracing on a court in Miami came out in the press. According to the Daily Mail, Pis joined Williams in Miami for the 2013 Sony Open, cheering her on courtside just as Hammond later did. The world renowned sportswoman met her handsome ex for some food when she returned to Miami in 2017, and while there's been no suggestion that they're anything other than friends today, maybe Hammond should think about leveling up that "friendship" ring, just to be sure.