So touching. Duchess Meghan teared up as her friend Serena Williams gave an emotional speech after her defeat in the women’s final at Wimbledon in England on Saturday, July 14.
The royal, 36, who was joined by sister-in-law Duchess Kate in their first joint appearance together, stood in the stands as Williams was interviewed courtside after her loss to Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 6-3. The former Suits star could be seen looking teary-eyed at one point, in a video posted on the official Wimbledon account, as her friend spoke.
“It was such an amazing tournament for me. I was really hoping to get this far,” Williams, 36, who attended Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry in May, said as her voice trembled and she fought back tears. “It’s obviously disappointing, but I can’t be disappointed. I have so much to look forward to. I’m literally just getting started.”
The 23-time Grand Slam tennis champ, who recently returned to the pro circuit after giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia in September, then offered a message to her fellow mothers.
"I was really happy to get this far. For all the moms out there, I was playing for you today"
Grace, poise and emotion. A runner-up's interview given by a true champion.@SerenaWilliams 👏 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/jjtw3cWyEq
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2018
“To all the moms out there, I was playing for you today and I tried,” she said, her voice breaking as the crowd cheered in encouragement.
Williams has been open about the challenges of returning to the court as a new mom. On July 7, she tweeted about missing her daughter’s first steps. “I was in training and missed it. I cried,” she wrote, prompting an outpouring of support from fans and friends including Chrissy Teigen.
In her HBO documentary, Being Serena, she explained that she decided to stop breastfeeding her daughter, who she shares with husband Alexis Ohanian, after six months because it was affecting her performance.
“The truth is I miss my body, being able to do other kinds of amazing things. I miss playing tennis,” Williams explained. “Mostly, I miss winning. Winning’s always been the way I define myself, and I want it to stay that way for a long time.”
