Serena Williams Has the Best Tough-Love Advice for Meghan Markle

The fact that Serena Williams and Meghan Markle are buddies is inspiring—both are talented, driven, and at the top of their game. Apparently, their friendship is still strong, and the two trade advice about their lives all the time.

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The fact that Serena Williams and Meghan Markle are buddies is inspiring—both are talented, driven, and at the top of their game (pun totally intended). The tennis pro even attended the royal wedding between the princess and Prince Harry, so it's very clearly #friendshipgoals. Serena has acknowledged that they don't have as much time to talk these days, given their hectic schedules. But yesterday at Art Basel in the midst of launching her new clothing line, according to People, she made clear that their friendship is apparently still strong, and Meghan has stayed grounded.

Serena recounts, "I’m like, 'How are you?' and she’s like, 'No, how are you?' and I’m like, 'You’re so sweet, but I’m really asking–how are YOU?' I’m like, 'Meghan, stop being so nice…you’re the pregnant one, aren’t you supposed to have hormones, why are you so sweet?' But that’s always been her."

So, I guess, Meghan is just too nice? It's a good problem to have in a friend. 

The two women go way back. They met at the 2010 Super Bowl, and they've been friends ever since. In Meghan and Harry's recent tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga, Meghan was even spotted wearing a blazer designed by her friend.

Serena is already mom to daughter, Olympia, with her husband Alexis Ohanian, after a surprise pregnancy and difficult birth. She admits that the two trade insights, especially about their personal lives, but that Meghan “still gives me more advice.”

Still, the tennis star has plenty of wisdom she can impart. She explained that her biggest piece of wisdom for moms-to-be is "it will come."

"I don’t know what’s going to happen, I didn’t know how I’m going to have a baby, and it all came. It’s so crazy, I totally changed, and it literally is like a switch. And so, I say that, 'It will come,'" she remembers.

Serena's become more candid about her professional and personal lives over the past few years. Most recently, she shared a sweet photo of her growing baby at a joint fashion shoot for her mildly controversial GQ Woman of the Year coverage.

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Even though Meghan can't share with as much candor about her life, I'm hoping that the two pals can get some time together (with their kids, maybe?!) before too long.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.