Serena Williams condemns the 'cruelty' Meghan Markle has experienced - and shares touching message of support following Oprah interview

Serena and Meghan are close friends

Serena Williams
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Serena Williams has shared a touching message of support for her friend Meghan Markle following the royal's interview with Oprah.

Just hours after the interview aired in the US (it will air in the UK this Monday evening), Serena - who has been friends with Meghan for many years - shared the message in support of the Duchess on social media.

Serena began the message by saying that Meghan "lives her life - and leads by example - with empathy and compassion."

She continued, saying, "She teaches me every day which it means to be truly noble," before explaining that "Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she's experienced." 

Meghan and Harry interview

(Image credit: Harpo/Getty Images)

In her message, Serena went on to condemn the "sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of color to minimize us, to break us down and demonize us."

And, directly referencing Meghan's admission that she felt suicidal as a member of the royal family, Serena then wrote, "The mental health consequences of systematic oppression and victimisation are devastating, isolating and all too often lethal."

The tennis superstar also shared her wish for the future of her own daughter - Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr - and for Meghan and Harry's future daughter, that they will "live in a society that is driven by respect."

Serena Williams

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meghan and Serena have been friends since 2010, after first meeting at a Super Bowl event that year.

On her old lifestyle website, The Tig, the Duchess revealed that the pair "hit it off immediately".

And the two have supported each other since then, with Meghan regularly attending Serena's tennis matches, whilst Serena was a guest at Harry and Meghan's wedding at Windsor Castle. 

When Meghan attended Wimbledon in 2017, Serena said, "We have always supported each other, just been there for each other through a lot."

Amy Hunt

Amy Hunt is an experienced digital journalist specialising in homes, interiors and hobbies. She began her career working as the features assistant at woman&home magazine, before moving over to the digital side of the brand where she eventually became the Lifestyle Editor up until January 2022. Amy won the Digital Journalist of the Year award at the AOP Awards in 2019 for her work on womanandhome.com.