The Sweetest Things Meghan Markle and Serena Williams Have Said About Their Friendship

Updated on 12/15/2022 at 5:45 PM

Meghan Markle and Serena Williams go way back. The two first met at the Super Bowl in 2010 and have been friends ever since. In fact, Markle frequently attends Williams's matches at the US Open and Wimbledon, and Williams was front and center at Markle and Prince Harry's nuptials in 2018. While Markle and Williams both "have a penchant for hot sauces and adore fashion," the duchess previously wrote on her now-deleted blog that what connects them is their "belief in exceeding expectations" and their "endless ambition."

In 2020, Williams was asked how she felt about Markle leaving the royal family and moving to Santa Barbara, CA, and in true fashion, she handled it like a pro. "I don't know what you're talking about, don't know nothing about that," she joked as she pulled a Mariah Carey. "Never seen her, never heard of her, don't know her . . ."

In August, the now-retired tennis icon appeared as Markle's first guest on her Spotify podcast "Archetypes." During their conversation, Markle and Williams reflected on embracing ambition at a young age, shared stories about balancing motherhood with their careers, and touched on the topic of being in control of their own narratives.

Most recently, Williams made a surprise appearance in Markle and Harry's Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan," which is currently streaming on Netflix. Featured in several episodes, Williams shares insight about her friendship with Markle as well as the Sussexes' romance. "I'm looking at it through the lens of my friend, not a princess," she says in the series. "They as a couple are so tight and rely on each other so much, and are each other's best, best friends."

In honor of Williams and Markle's friendship, check out some of the sweetest things they've said about each other over the years.

Meghan Markle on Serena Williams

On how she first bonded with Williams: "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 girlie stuff. So began our friendship."
On why she admires her: "She is so attuned to balancing strength and sensitivity. Plus . . . she is pretty epic at karaoke."

On her special connection with Williams: "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. 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."

Serena Williams on Meghan Markle

On their amazing friendship: "[We've] always had a wonderful friendship. Every year for a couple years, she comes out to Wimbledon, has supported me. Now she's supporting me in a different role. But our friendship is still exactly the same. We always have supported each other, just been there for each other through a lot."
On what a great friend Markle is: "She flew all the way with a newborn to see me play in New York and flew all the way back that night, and I probably couldn't have done that," Serena said, referring to when Markle cheered her on at the US Open in September 2019. "And that's just one of the many things that she does for me. I call her, text her anytime, crying, upset — she's always there. Doesn't matter what she's going through, she just sets time away, and she's just so amazing."
On Markle being a "selfless" friend: "Megan 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," Williams wrote on Instagram in 2021. "Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she's experienced. I know firsthand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of color to minimize us, to break us down and demonize us. We must recognize our obligation to decry malicious, unfounded gossip and tabloid journalism. The mental health consequences of systemic oppression and victimization are devastating, isolating and all often too lethal."