Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, since their 2018 marriage and eventual exit from the royal family, and move to the United States, have made several high-profile friends, including Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and Beyoncé, among others.
But the former Suits star's fans are also familiar with her more longtime friendships, including with her Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, as well as the one and only Serena Williams.
The Duchess of Sussex and the renowned tennis star have known each other since 2010, when they met at the Super Bowl, and became close friends after reconnecting in 2014, at another Super Bowl.
Meghan, writing for her since-shuttered popular blog The Tig in August of 2014, reflected on the start of her friendship with Serena, and detailed her first impressions of her.
"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-numberonetennisplayerintheworld-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 fancylady was coming to me."
She continued: "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."
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"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 bond 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."
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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."
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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.'"
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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.
Evidently, ten years into their friendship, the two have supported each other through thick and thin. 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."