Serena Williams, 23-time Grand Slam winner and runner-up at this year’s controversial US Open, admitted she has been “relying” on the friendship of Meghan Markle in the aftermath of her recent defeat to Naomi Osaka.
Speaking to Lisa Wilkinson on The Sunday Project, the 36-year-old conceded that she and Markle – who earlier this year married Prince Harry, becoming Duchess of Sussex in the process – currently face more media scrutiny than any other women on the planet.
The pair have been friends for some time, and Williams, along with her husband Alexis Ohanian, attended the royal wedding in May. Markle is of mixed racial heritage with a Caucasian father and an African-American mother; during the interview, Williams addressed the historic nature of the ceremony and its celebration of African-American culture.
And that discussion neatly pivoted to the media attention placed on both women. And when we say ‘media attention’, we’re including that racist cartoon, which featured a demeaning representation of Williams as an African-American woman.
“We were actually just texting each other this morning,” Williams said.
“And you know, I think we have known each other for a long time. But we really are kind of relying on each other a lot recently.”
The admission reveals that two of the most prominent women in the world, both of whom occupy incredible levels of cultural status, still feel the need to privately vent about the rank and unnecessary garbage hurled their way.
You can have a peek at the chat, which also detailed her reaction to the game-changing violations in the US Open final and her confusion over post-match statements made by her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, right here:
Lisa sits down with Serena Williams to chat about her incredible career, her friendship with Meghan Markle, and how she’s enjoying motherhood. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/mHKmaGM9ux
— The Project (@theprojecttv) September 23, 2018
Lisa chats with Serena about the US Open code violation, sexism in tennis, and her new Breast cancer awareness campaign. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/9UzWciU5T1
— The Project (@theprojecttv) September 23, 2018
