Serena Williams says planning Meghan Markle's baby shower took 'a lot of effort'

It was the baby shower of the year - a glittering gathering in New York for Baby Sussex - and organised by royal BFF and tennis ace, Serena Williams.

Now, the mum-of-one has opened up about the pressure of planning the extravaganza but it's not due to Meghan Markle's status as Duchess of Sussex.

"I’m a perfectionist, so I’m like, ‘Let’s make it perfect'," she told Business of Fashion in an interview for her new clothing brand.

Speaking to the publication just days after throwing the shower in February for guests including Amal Clooney, Gayle King, Jessica Mulroney, Misha Nonoo, Abigail Spencer and Markus Anderson, Serena admitted: "It’s been a lot the last few days".

"Planning something like that takes a lot of effort," the 37-year-old added.

They stayed at The Mark Hotel, where the high profile group feasted on stalk cookies and learned how to make floral arrangements.

While it's understood the traditional baby present opening part of the celebrations were skipped, so that Meghan could open the gifts with Prince Harry once back in the UK.

In a previous interview it's thought Serena may have let slip that the Sussexes are expecting a little girl.

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"My friend is pregnant, and she was like, 'My kid’s gonna do this,' [and] I just looked at her like, 'No, she’s not. No, you’re not. She was like, 'I need to talk to you about tips', because, yes, I had all of those high expectations," Williams told E! News while dishing out parenting advice.

While she never mentioned which pregnant friend she was talking about, fans were quick to jump to the idea it was about Meghan.

No doubt with Williams a mum to 19-month-old Olympia Ohanian, the Duchess will have her on speed dial for any parenting advice and tips along the way.

The former Suits star and tennis player first met at the Super Bowl in 2010 and became fast friends.