Serena Williams Recalls the Moment She and Meghan Markle Became Friends and What Bonded Them Instantly

Meghan Markle and Serena Williams on November 8, 2025.Credit: 

Meghan Markle and Serena Williams initially crossed paths at the Super Bowl in 2010; four years later, the two reconnected, hit it off immediately, and have been close friends since.

Williams was at Meghan’s 2018 royal wedding to Prince Harry and later threw the Duchess of Sussex a baby shower when she was pregnant with Prince Archie in 2019. As recently as this month, Meghan supported Williams as she was being honored at the Baby2Baby gala on November 8.

Meghan Markle and Serena Williams on July 11, 2024.Getty

“We both definitely have a dry sense of humor,” Williams told Harper’s Bazaar for its new cover story on Meghan, released on November 19. “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.”

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

Meghan Markle and Serena Williams at the ESPYs on July 11, 2024.Getty

Meghan told the publication that their friendship is easy, explaining, “I don’t like things that feel overly realized. If you overwork the dough, it’s not going to rise.” Williams added that Meghan helps her be a better mother, telling the outlet that “She’s just so smart, and I feel like no matter what, I can always learn from her.”

“I’m implementing so much that she’s teaching me,” Williams continued.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s 2018 wedding.

Back when Meghan’s lifestyle blog The Tig was still around, Meghan wrote of the tennis pro, “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.” Williams, for her part, previously said that Meghan is “such a great friend and a great person as well. And always positive, no matter what.”

“It’s so good to have people like that, just to know,” she added.

Meghan Markle, Serena Williams, and Hannah Davis on February 1, 2014.Getty

Williams was the first guest on Meghan’s 2022 podcast “Archetypes,” where the As Ever founder mentioned their meet cute. “I show up and I see you walking toward someone,” Meghan said. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, who is Serena Williams going to talk to?’ I looked behind me and when I turned around, you were there right in front of me.”

“We became such fast friends,” Meghan shared.

Earlier this year, Williams told TIME as part of its 100 Most Influential People issue that when it comes to Meghan, “I’m always like, ‘Girl, what are you doing today?’ So we’re trading recipes.”