"Maybe Serena Williams didn't want the toxicity"; "So not friends anymore!" - Tennis fans confused by Meghan Markle's absence at gender reveal party

Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian recently hosted a baby shower and gender reveal party, eliciting a delighted response from Williams' fans around the world. However, many eagle-eyed fans couldn't help but notice her long-time friend Meghan Markle's conspicuous absence from the festivities.

On Monday, July 31, Williams shared a heartwarming video on her YouTube channel which documented the joyous event. The couple and their five-year-old daughter Olympia were surrounded by their family and close friends as they discovered that they were expecting another baby girl.

A fan was surprised by the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle's glaring absence from the event, given the pair's close friendship dating back to 2010.

"Meghan Markle was nowhere to be found at pal Serena Williams' recent baby shower," a fan tweeted.

Her absence from the event was particularly astonishing because Williams had co-hosted Markle's baby shower in 2019 when she was pregnant with her son Archie.

Several fans speculated that the Duchess wasn't invited to the event because Williams may have wanted to avoid turning the gender reveal party into a media spectacle.

"Maybe Serena didn't want the toxicity, the baby shower should be about her baby rather than Meg bringing Netflix or a pap stroll," a fan commented.

"If Meghan had been invited, the paps would have been called!!! So not friends with Serena anymore!!!!!! Meghan Markle is nowhere to be seen at Serena Williams' baby shower," another fan chimed in.

A user suggested that the pair may no longer be friends.

"Maybe not "pal" anymore," a user posted.

Here are a few more fan reactions:

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Serena Williams gets pranked by husband Alexis Ohanian during gender reveal party

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian attending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding

Serena Williams' gender reveal party took a hilarious turn when her husband Alexis Ohanian pranked her and their daughter, Olympia with a joke cake. The Reddit co-founder arranged for the cake to be yellow on the inside instead of the customary pink or blue.

Upon cutting the cake, Williams was surprised to see the yellow coloring. However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion reacted in good humor, playfully taking the slice of cake and nearly smashing it in her husband's face.

Venus Williams had a hilariously animated reaction to the prank. The seven-time Grand Slam champion was spotted eagerly jumping up and down in anticipation before the cake-cutting only to slump down in dismay when she saw the yellow filling, much to Serena's amusement.

The family then turned their attention to the real gender reveal, which featured a spectacular lights display by Sky Elements drones, announcing that the couple was expecting another baby girl.