Awkward Smiles: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle react to Serena Williams' joke at ESPY Awards

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had awkward smiles after Serena Williams' joke at the 2024 ESPY Awards. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has been close friends with the royal couple for more than 10 years and was among the guests at the awards.

The former world No. 1 hosted the event and drew attention to herself from the start by joking about the couple. Williams asked the audience to give her a warm welcome: "But please, Harry and Meghan, try not to breathe too much tonight.

"Because this is my night and I don't want to be overshadowed by accusations you guys are taking up too much oxygen,” she added. The couple took the joke in good spirits and were seen laughing. The Duke of Sussex received the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the ceremony held in Los Angeles.

Serena Williams has had a close relationship with Meghan since the 2010 Super Bowl. In fact, Markle wrote in her blog, The Tig, in 2014 about Williams: "We are both the same age, have a penchant for hot sauces and adore fashion, but what connects us more than those things is perhaps our belief in exceeding expectations — our endless ambition."

Beyond Williams' jokes and the couple's good humor, Prince Harry recently faced criticism for accepting the award: "His refusal to turn down the Pat Tillman Award, despite suffering a furious backlash with the petition urging ESPN to reconsider its decision…tangibly shows how his popularity has plummeted,” said British royals expert Hilary Fordwich.

"The latest lash out at him is Admiral Lord Alan West, Former Royal Navy Chief and Labour peer, saying that ‘he ought to think very hard and long’ about accepting this particular award as it ‘doesn’t travel well with people in the military.’"

On the other hand, the author of The King, Christopher Andersen, supported Harry's decision to accept the award: "Harry obviously considered it a great honor and given what he has done for wounded veterans through his Invictus Games, the Duke of Sussex certainly seemed a logical choice.

"Harry is so proud of his military service and Invictus that it’s no wonder he is stunned by the backlash. Harry is used to being raked over the coals, but this is a genuine heartbreak for him."