Serena Williams and Meghan Markle are friendship royalty!
The tennis star and the Duchess of Sussex first met at the Super Bowl in 2010; after crossing paths again in 2014, the two hit it off “immediately” and have been close since.
From Markle’s travels to watch the Grand Slam champ’s tennis tournaments and Williams’ attendance at Markle’s royal wedding to Prince Harry, the two always find time to cheer each other on despite their respectively busy schedules.
“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,” Markle previously wrote on her blog The Tig.
In addition to showing up for one another, the two often praise each other publicly and share advice on industry pressures and navigating motherhood.
Here’s a timeline of Williams and Markle’s decade-long friendship.
Feb. 7, 2010: Serena Williams and Meghan Markle meet for the first time
Williams and Markle met for the first time at Super Bowl XLIV when the New Orleans Saints faced off against the Indianapolis Colts in 2010.
Feb. 2, 2014: Serena Williams and Meghan Markle reunite at another Super Bowl
After their first encounter, Meghan and Serena reunited at the 2014 Super Bowl in New York and immediately hit it off. The duchess recalled their interaction during the debut episode of her podcast Archetypes, which featured an interview with Williams.
“I show up and I see you walking toward someone,” Meghan recalled to her friend. “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.”
The day after, the two both took part in DirecTV’s Celebrity Beach Bowl. They played former NFL pros for the prize but had some fun on the sidelines.
“We hit it off immediately,” Meghan wrote on her former lifestyle blog The Tig. “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.”
Sept. 7, 2014: Meghan Markle celebrates Serena Williams’ third consecutive US Open championship
The 2014 US Open marked the beginning of a years-long trend of Markle cheering the tennis star on at her matches. The win solidified Williams’ third consecutive US Open victory and 18th major title overall.
Jan. 31, 2015: Meghan Markle hugs Serena Williams after Australian Open win
Markle celebrated Williams’ victory at the Australian Open in 2015 with a tweeted sentiment alongside a photo of her and the tennis star embracing after Williams’ win at the 2014 US Open.
“So happy for you @serenawilliams!! I was juuuust hugging you for your win at #usopen. Now @AustralianOpen! #onfire” Markle tweeted, as captured by ESPN.
Williams teamed up with HSN to present her eponymous fashion line’s fall Signature Statement Collection at New York Fashion Week in September 2016 and Markle was there to support her. The Duchess snapped a photo with the tennis fashionista at the event and shared it in a now-deleted Instagram post.
“My eyes are closed but my heart is so open! So proud of your new collection @serenawilliams Happy I could be there to support you xx #NYFW,” Markle captioned the pic.
Aug. 15, 2017: Meghan Markle says Serena Williams will be an ‘amazing mom’
While Williams was pregnant with her first child, Markle had nothing but effusive things to say about her friend’s future in motherhood to Vogue: “She will be an amazing mom. The very best, because she is so attuned to balancing strength and sensitivity.”
And, she added, Williams’ fun side would come in handy in the nursery as well: “Given that she is pretty epic at karaoke, I think she’ll put her signature Serena spin on singing lullabies for the baby. I can’t wait for that!”
