Tennis icon Serena Williams has revealed that she underwent surgery to remove a brachial cyst which had grown to ‘the size of a small grapefruit’.
Williams, 43, who retired from the sport after the 2022 US Open, discovered a lump in her neck back in May and immediately consulted a doctor for tests.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion, widely regarded as the greatest female tennis player in history, was initially informed that surgery was not necessary.
However, after the cyst grew significantly, a ‘mortified’ Williams was encouraged to go under the knife to eradicate the risk of leakage or an infection.
‘Back in May I found a lump showing on my neck. I immediately went to the doc got a MRI and was told I have a brachial cyst. Have you ever heard of that? ‘ the American wrote on TikTok.
‘They said I don’t need to get it removed if I don’t want. So I did not get it but it kept growing.
‘I decided to get more tests and one biopsy later everything is still negative but doctors advised I get it removed ASAP because it was the size of a small grapefruit and it could get infected or worse leak.’
Williams shared a video of her journey with her 1.8 million followers on TikTok and confirmed that everything was ‘OK’ following the operation.
‘This is me removing it,’ she added alongside the footage from her hospital bed.
‘I am feeling so grateful, and fortunate everything worked out, and most of all I’m healthy.
‘I still made it to American doll with Olympia as promised. And yes all is OK.’
On her official X page, Williams said she was disappointed to miss Rafael Nadal’s retirement announcement during her rehabilitation but underlined that her ‘health always comes first’.
‘So many things I missed like the Glamour Woman of the Year awards, Rafael Nadal’s retirement [crying emoji] and I am still recovering, but getting better,’ she tweeted.
‘Health always comes first.’
Earlier this summer, Williams had fans dreaming of a stunning return to tennis as she tweeted that she was ‘ready to hit some balls again’, a message that racked up over 8,000 reposts and 46,000 likes.
But Williams has no immediate plans to come out of retirement, with the American keen to spend time with her family after a gruelling 27-year career on the WTA Tour.
‘I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next,’ she said after retiring.
‘I started a family. I want to grow that family.
‘Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.’
.
.