A “dry sense of humor,” mom advice, and a love of mimosas makes for a strong bond, the tennis star tells Harper’s Bazaar

The world may have been shocked when American tennis legend Serena Williams showed up to Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s royal wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018, but they shouldn’t have been, as the women have been close friends for 15 years.

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At Meghan and Harry’s wedding on May 19, 2018, in Windsor, England.

Meghan and Williams first met at Super Bowl XLIV when the New Orleans Saints faced off against the Indianapolis Colts in 2010. It was held in Miami Gardens, Florida. At the time, Meghan was in a serious relationship with film producer Trevor Engelson, whom she began dating in 2004 and married in 2011. (The two divorced in 2013, three years before Meghan met Harry.)

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At the Baby2Baby Gala on November 8, 2025, in West Hollywood, California.

In Meghan’s December cover story for Harper’s Bazaar, Williams recalls her instant connection with the now-duchess. “We both definitely have a dry sense of humor. I think that’s why we hit it off for no reason at this silly football thing. We were just like, ‘Why are we here? To meet you?’ Apparently, and we’ve been lifelong friends ever since,” she says.

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Since then, their friendship has only deepened, as they have both navigated being entrepreneurs, mothers, and media targets—separately, but together.

“We love a good mimosa,” Williams says. “We could talk for a hundred hours, and it feels like 10 minutes go by, and it’s like we never stop smiling.”

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At the ESPY Awards on July 11, 2024, in Hollywood, California.

Meghan says their friendship is easy: “I don’t like things that feel overly realized. If you overwork the dough, it’s not going to rise. And sometimes I think the stress that people put on moments … they are so consumed in them that you lose the fun of why you are doing something.”

And Williams says Meghan helps her be a better mother: “She’s just so smart, and I feel like no matter what, I can always learn from her.” She adds that the last time the two hung out, Meghan “was talking about this amazing woman who is really helpful and how to talk to kids. I’m implementing so much that she’s teaching me.”

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These two.