Serena Williams says Kate Middleton is Number One despite being friends with Meghan Markle
Despite being a longtime friend of Meghan Markle and having attended her wedding to Prince Harry earlier this year, Serena Williams named Kate Middleton as her number one 'bad a**'.
Serena Williams was asked by InStyle magazine to name whom she would consider to be "bad**s" to which the tennis champion replied, "Well, obviously Beyoncé. That goes unsaid. Rihanna goes unsaid. Kate Middleton!" She described how Kate Middleton appeared on the steps of the Lindo Wing right after giving birth. "She was standing. So she’s officially No 1." Serena added.
Kate Middleton's sister Pippa Middleton shared that she would be taking pregnancy tips from her sister Kate and is also looking to Serena Williams for inspiration. In her Waitrose Weekend column, Pippa wrote, "I've been a tennis fan since childhood, as player and spectator, and have been keen to continue playing safely throughout pregnancy".
"Take Serena Williams – she famously proved that women can play a high level of tennis from two months (when she won the 2017 Australian Open) up to eight months. Few of us can relate to this elite excellence, but if you're a healthy, well-trained player with an uncomplicated pregnancy there's no reason why you can't continue a good level of tennis," she added.
"I haven't been giving 100 percent to every shot, instead just enjoyed releasing energy through rallying, footwork and working on core strength," she admitted. "As I continue to play over the next few months, I've been advised to keep two feet on the ground when hitting strokes and to avoid sharp turns and quick movements, particularly as I approach the due date," Pippa continued.
Serena had attended Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry along with her husband Alexis Ohanian. Speaking of the Royal wedding, Williams revealed, "It was super fun. You know, I’ve known Meghan for years, so it was good to see my friend happy".
In reference to her cover story for the magazine's first ever 'Badass women' issue, she said, "Oh, absolutely! I was two months pregnant. I was literally nine weeks by the end of the tournament. Every day that passed, I thought, 'This is a dream'. I had a really tough first round and an even tougher second round. I thought, 'I’m probably going to lose early. That’s OK. I have a good excuse for the first time".
The tennis champion won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open which took place in January 2017 while she was eight weeks pregnant and she welcomed her baby girl Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. last September. Williams revealed that this was one of the most badass things she has ever done.