Serena Williams stands up for Meghan Markle, decries the 'sexism and racism' she faced

Ever since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah, folks on the internet have been obsessed with sharing their points of view on their relationship and the way Markle was treated by the royal family in the United Kingdom. In the sea of voices was none other than tennis star Serena Williams, who defended Markle and spoke up against the discrimination she faced as a Black woman. In a statement uploaded to Twitter on Monday, Williams expressed both support and anger for the Duchess of Sussex, CNN reports. The two women are close friends, and Williams even attended Markle's wedding.

"Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life—and leads by example—with empathy and compassion," the statement read. "She teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she's experienced." Williams went on to share her own experiences of both racism and sexism as someone who has been in the public eye for several years now. She continued, "I know first hand 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. We must recognize our obligation to decry malicious, unfounded gossip and tabloid journalism. The mental health consequences of systemic oppression and victimization are devastating, isolating and all too often lethal."

The tennis superstar also explained what kind of future she envisioned for young Black girls. She stated, "I want Meghan's daughter, my daughter, and your daughter to live in a society that is driven by respect." Williams ended with a reminder for Markle, who has become a close friend of hers over the years. "Keep in your memory the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control," she concluded. "Against such things there is no law."

The tweet has gone viral since it was first posted. It has received more than 320,000 likes and has been retweeted over 46,400 times. Although some Twitter users claimed racism simply did not exist in the comments, several other users responded to Williams similarly denouncing the royal family and their actions. One user wrote, "Meghan Markle is nobler than the whole Royal institution combined! Thank you for always being a Queen, Serena Williams. Let's make this world an infinitely better place for all of us."

Markle and Williams met a few years ago at a charity event. Since then, the former has attended the United States Open to cheer her close friend on. Furthermore, Williams co-hosted a baby shower for the Duchess in 2019 when she was pregnant with Archie.