Serena Williams Has Some Advice For Her Longtime Pal Meghan Markle

Long before Meghan Markle became a British royal, she found friendship with tennis queen Serena Williams, forming in an instant bond when the pair first met at the Super Bowl in 2010. And though both famous ladies — and their lives — have changed drastically over the years, Serena assures People that her royal friend hasn’t changed one bit — even though she is urging her to adjust one thing.

Speaking to the news outlet on December 5, during the launch for her clothing line in Miami, the sports icon recalled a conversation she had with her friend — one that was almost too nice.

“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?’,” Serena said, following up with a bit of advice for her royal pal.

“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?,” she advised. “But that’s always been her.”

And while Serena — who was the first of the pair to have a baby in September 2017, when she and her husband Alexis Ohanian welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia — gives her gal pal plenty of tips as she prepares to enter the world of motherhood herself, she admits that Meghan “still gives me more advice.”

Serena Williams Begged Meghan Markle to Stop Being So Dang Nice https://t.co/euHga5aRpv pic.twitter.com/nJTcnMa1y1

— Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) December 7, 2018

The tennis ace offered some advice for all expectant mothers as well.

“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,” Serena explained. “It’s so crazy, I totally changed, and it literally is like a switch. And so, I say that, ‘It will come.'”

Meghan and Serena have an extremely supportive friendship. Serena and her husband, Alexis, were two amongst a number of familiar faces spotted at Meghan’s royal wedding to Prince Harry earlier this year. A few months later, Meghan — and her sister-in-law, Kate — were in the audience as the tennis pro competed at Wimbledon.

Meghan also supports her friend’s dip into the fashion industry, wearing a blazer from Serena’s clothing line during her royal tour of Australia with Prince Harry. Serena shared her sweet reaction her friend’s support on her Instagram account.

Serena did recently admit, however, that while she loves that her good friend rocks pieces from her fashion line, she has to be careful with which items she sends to the Duchess of Sussex, Elle reported.

“We don’t [send her the whole line] because some of that stuff we know is like, Ok, maybe she wouldn’t be looking at the color-block pants because I don’t know if it’s appropriate,” she explained to People. “But years ago, I would have, you know? But know, I have to really think about it.”