Overwhelmed Meghan Markle didn’t see this coming” Serena Williams fixed a date for reunion with Meghan family after she sent a powerful message to Meghan

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.”

Feb. 3, 2014: Serena Williams and Meghan Markle compete in the Celebrity Beach Bowl

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.

Sept. 12, 2016: Meghan Markle supports Serena Williams’ clothing line launch at New York Fashion Week

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!”

Sept. 6, 2017: Serena Williams shares advice with Meghan Markle
After Markle and Prince Harry,Duke of Sussex went public with their relationship, she was faced with international scrutiny — something the tennis champ was no stranger to. Williams gave her pal advice.

“I told her, ‘You’ve got to be who you are, Meghan. You can’t hide,'” Williams recalled to Vanity Fair.

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May 19, 2018: Serena Williams attends Meghan Markle’s wedding

Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian attended Markle and Harry’s wedding at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom in May 2018. The tennis icon chronicled her excitement on her Instagram leading up to their nuptials.

“So my friend is getting married today, and I’m up super early,” she wrote on her Story. “I’ve known her for so many years, and I’m so happy for her.”

Williams later reminisced about preparing for the the big day during an interview with Vogue, breaking down her royal look. She revealed she had several stylists braiding her hair and the process took “all night.”

“I was so tired. I was like, ‘I’m going to sleep,’ ” she said. “So I lie down, and then they just kept braiding until the morning, and they finally finished.” She continued, “It was a very long process, but it was so worth it.”

July 14, 2018: Meghan Markle attends Wimbledon to support Serena Williams post wedding
For Williams’ Wimbledon match that year, the newly-minted Duchess of Sussex attended and alongside her new sister-in-law, Kate Middleton in the royal box.

While the tennis star didn’t win, she delivered a moving post-match speech, saying, “I was really happy to get this far. For all the moms out there, I was playing for you today.”

When cameras cut to the royals amid the heartfelt moment, Markle can be seen standing proud in the crowd.

Sept. 17, 2018: Serena Williams supports Meghan Markle’s cookbook, Together

Markle launched a cookbook titled Together in September 2018, marking the Duchess’ first independent project as a royal. Williams turned to Twitter to boost the book.

She wrote: “I used to call you Meghan (and I still do) but dear Duchess of Sussex your first project ‘Together’ a cookbook bringing women of all cultures together. I could not be more excited about it and proud of you. It’s beautiful — diversity, inclusivity, coming together in grief and joy.”