Serena Williams shares new photo of 'dear friend' Meghan Markle as fans gush over royal's 'enlightening' first podcast

Serena Williams has shared a new photo of Meghan Markle after appearing on the Duchess of Sussex's first podcast episode and royal fans can't get enough. 

• Serena Williams has posted a new photo of of Meghan Markle to celebrate the royal's first Spotify podcast, Archetypes. 
• The US tennis star appeared as the Duchess of Sussex's inaugural guest on Tuesday, joining her 'dear friend' for the series' pilot episode, The Misconception of Ambition.
• In other royal news, Prince Harry ‘lacking a true family ally’ ahead of US move with Meghan Markle and could be back ‘in a new format’ claims former royal bodyguard.
  

Serena Williams has treated royal fans to a new photo of Meghan Markle after appearing as a guest on her 'dear friend's' podcast, Archetypes. 

The Duchess of Sussex was joined by the US tennis star on Tuesday for a candid discussion on the 'double standard women face when they are labeled ambitious' in the feminist series' inaugural episode, The Misconception of Ambition. The exciting release comes nearly two years after plans for Meghan's Spotify podcast, which seeks to investigate and deconstruct labels that 'hold women back' in society, was announced. 

Shortly after the first episode dropped, Serena took to Instagram to share a never-before-seen photo of Meghan along with a sweet message. 

"I loved talking about so many important topics with my dear friend Meghan as her first guest on #archetypes for @spotify! It’s out now and worth the listen, especially if you’re ambitious," the 40-year-old athlete wrote, before punctuating the caption with a heart emoji. 

In the black-and-white image, Meghan, also 40, is smiling at the camera while Serena cradles her four-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. 

The Duchess has gone for a casual outfit, wearing a slouchy denim dress complimented by a cream jacket, while Serena poses in a Nike tank top and what appears to be a pair of Nike leggings. The 23-time Grand Slam title holder, who has reportedly been friends with Meghan since 2014, also added a diamond heart necklace to her athleisure look. 

While Serena didn't clarify when the photo was taken, it appears to be from Day 13 of the US Open Tennis Championship in New York in 2019. A little investigative work reveals that Meghan's blue and white ensemble in the Instagram snap is identical to the outfit she wore at the sporty event, in which Serena Williams lost to Canada's Bianca Andreescu in the women's singles final match. 

Royal fans were delighted to see the update from the tennis icon, with countless followers sharing their glowing feedback on the collaboration in the comment section. 

"I just finished listening to the podcast. It was fabulous! I loved the questions and your responses," one person wrote. 

A number of revelations about the Duchess's inner world were made in the candid discussion, including that Meghan Markle was 'so tired' during her pregnancies and that Archie narrowly escaped a fire during the Sussexes' South Africa tour in 2019. 

"I am pleased with how well this was executed. From beginning to end, I enjoyed it. It was an enlightening and very touching conversation with Duchess Meghan and Serena Williams," another impressed listener said. 

"This reminds me of a brunch conversation between two girlfriends about life, friendship, and motherhood."