Meghan Markle’s fans are well-acquainted with her enduring friendships, notably with her former “Suits” co-star Abigail Spencer and the legendary Serena Williams.
The Duchess of Sussex and the celebrated tennis star first crossed paths in 2010 at the Super Bowl, rekindling their friendship in 2014 at another Super Bowl event. Reflecting on the early days of their bond, Meghan wrote in August 2014 for her now-closed blog, The Tig, sharing her initial impressions of Serena.
“When Serena Williams barrelled in my direction this past February at an event, nails done, hair done, everything did, I’ll be honest and say I looked behind me to see who she was running to,” she recalled.
“It was Serena Williams, after all. Serena-number on etennis player in the world-Williams. Whose match I had watched with bated breath at the previous Open, giggling with delight to be that close to her legendary serve,” she went on, before noting: “Turns out this fancy lady was coming to me.”
“We hit it off immediately, taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old-fashioned girly stuff. So began our friendship,” she marked, and further recalled: “She quickly became a confidante I would text when I was traveling, the friend I would rally around for her tennis matches, and the down to earth chick I was able to grab lunch with just a couple weeks ago in Toronto.”
Moreover, giving insight into what the two bonds over, she shared: “We are both the same age, have a penchant for hot sauces and adore fashion, but what connects us more than those things is perhaps our belief in exceeding expectations — our endless ambition.”
When Serena announced she was expecting her first child with husband Alexis Ohanian, daughter Olympia, in 2017, Meghan gushed to Vogue: “She will be an amazing mom. The very best, because she is so attuned to balancing strength and sensitivity.”
And when Meghan faced the intense scrutiny that came with the revelation of her relationship with Harry, Serena shared with Vanity Fair: “I told her, ‘You’ve got to be who you are, Meghan. You can’t hide.'”
Serena was in attendance at Meghan and Harry’s wedding at Windsor Castle in May of 2018, and they have continued to publicly support each other ever since. In July of 2019, Meghan enjoyed watching Serena play at Wimbledon alongside her sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, and shortly after flew to New York City to watch her at the US Open.
After both Meghan and Harry made headlines with their instantly-viral primetime interview with Oprah in March 2021 — which was watched by over 17 million people — Serena, in a since-deleted Instagram post, stood by her longtime friend, writing: “Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life — and leads by example — with empathy and compassion. She teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she’s experienced.”
