'The worst place to be is on the fence': Serena Williams sought Meghan and Harry's advice on quitting tennis
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Serena Williams, the most fascinating tennis player who revolutionized women's tennis and a 23-time grand slam singles champion, sought advice from close friends Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before deciding to leave the sport this year. Williams said she talked to the couple before making her decision earlier in August on Meghan's new Archetypes podcast on Spotify.
Prince Harry was reportedly "trying to knock some sense" into the tennis star, with Meghan claiming Williams and her husband discussed what she should do for "hours."
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After making her first guest appearance on Meghan's new Archetypes podcast on Spotify, Williams posted her experience of speaking with her on her Instagram with a caption that reads, "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."
During the chat on the podcast, the tennis star said, "You knew about it for a long time, and I talked with Harry about it a lot as well." Meghan, 41, replied, "I remember that day you were here at the house. And I was like, 'What are you two just chatting about?’ It must’ve been a solid, like, an hour.'"
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped down as working members of the royal family to move to a lavish mansion in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
Meghan said on the podcast, "The three of us really know that sometimes the right decision isn’t the easiest decision." Williams explained, "It’s the hard decision. And it takes a lot of thought and a lot of counsel and a lot of support to just go “uh, uh, uh” and then just make the choice." Williams further described her decision to retire as even more difficult because her "whole life has been one thing". She said, "The worst place to be is on the fence, as you know. So, it’s like, make a decision: either be in it or be out of it. And I was on the fence for a while because I love what I do."
The tennis pro, who will compete in her final US Open this week, thanked the couple for their advice. She even sent Harry and Meghan a sneak peek of the Vogue article in which she announced her retirement.
Williams said, "I wanted you to understand what it meant to have your support and H’s support for everything." She added, "I’ve been doing this my entire existence. Even before I was born, it was what I was meant to do and what I was supposed to do and what was chosen for me."
