Royal Flop: Williams denied Slam record in front of Duchess

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has another role that suits her: rooting on friend Serena Williams as the tennis star chased a U.S. Open championship.

Meghan Markel, Duchess of Sussex, attends the 2019 US Open Tennis Championship Final 2019 between Serena Williams of the US and Bianca Andrescu of Canada at the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows - Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens, NY, on September 7, 2019. [Photo: Anthony Behar/Sipa USA via IC]

Meghan sat in Williams' box at Arthur Ashe Stadium and stood and cheered like thousands of other fans when Williams hit a booming overhand to win a point in the first set. Williams fell short in her bid to set her crowning achievement of matching Margaret Court with 24 Grand Slam championships. Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu beat the 37-year-old Williams 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday to win her first Grand Slam title.

The former Meghan Markle, who starred in the cable show "Suits," sat in front of fashion influencer Anna Wintour and behind Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian.

Wintour wore her usual dark shades and did not crack a smile when she was shown on the big screen as "Vogue" by Madonna blared through the stadium. Meghan smiled and waved to a cheering crowd as she was billed on the screen as "HRH The Duchess of Sussex." The Dutchess wore a belted denim long-sleeve dress and headlined the A-list starpower that attended the final: Spike Lee, Andy Cohen and Taraji P. Henson were among the bold names in the stands.

Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said he talked a little tennis with the Duchess before the match.

"But I know her from before," she was famous, he said with a smile.

Meghan struck out as serving as a good-luck charm. She was Briefcase Model No. 24 — the number of slams Williams was trying to reach — when she appeared on the TV show "Deal or No Deal."

While her appearance at Flushing Meadows sparked a media blitz, the royal family is a constant presence at Wimbledon.