Serena Williams Grilled on Meghan Markle, Shuts Down Reporter

Serena Williams knew it was coming — and she put a stop to it right away. After defeating Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open, Williams talked to reporters and was asked about her thoughts on her friend, Meghan Markle leaving the royal family with her husband, Prince Harry. Williams responded by shutting the reporter down.

"I have absolutely no comments on anything with that," she said via CNN. "But good try. You tried. You did good."

Williams and Markle met a charity event a few years ago. They became such good friends that Williams and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, attended the former actor's wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. Williams also co-hosted a baby shower for Markle in New York last year.

In turn, Markle has watched Williams on the tennis court. She was seen when Williams was competing in Wimbledon last year and she was also in New York when Williams was competing in the U.S. Open a few months later.

Earlier this month, Markle and Pince Harry announce they would be stepping away from the Royal Family and will split time between the UK and North America. They will also be "financially independent" and they have received support from the queen.

"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the couple announced. "We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment."

"We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages," the statement continued. "This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support."