Recently, Serena Williams had surgery to remove a branchial cyst from her neck that was “the size of a grapefruit.” She is now talking about the scare.
The tennis legend wrote on X on Tuesday that her health was getting better even though she was “still recovering” from the surgery.
Williams, who is 43 years old, said in a TikTok video that she found a lump on the side of her neck for the first time in May.
“They told me I don’t have to get it taken off if I don’t want to,” she said. “So I didn’t get it taken away, but it kept getting bigger.”
In the video’s caption, she wrote, “I decided to get more tests, and three tests and one biopsy later, everything is still negative. However, doctors told me to get it removed ASAP because it was the size of a small grapefruit and could get infected or even leak.”
A branchial cleft cyst was found in her neck. The National Institutes of Health describe it as a harmless sac filled with fluid that can look like a lump of swelling. They often grow very slowly over weeks or even years.
Williams posted videos of herself in the hospital after surgery. She was doing much better, even though she said she was “suffering” while shopping for American Girl dolls with her daughter Olympia.
“Everything worked out so well, and I’m so thankful. Most importantly, I’m healthy.”
