Former women's tennis star Serena Williams has revealed details of her recent surgery to remove a huge cyst from her neck.
Williams, 43, posted a TikTok video on Wednesday that included footage of her being bandaged after undergoing neck surgery at the hospital.
“So this is me getting rid of it,” Williams captioned the video, which shows a clip of her in the hospital after surgery. “I'm very grateful that everything went well and I'm lucky. And most importantly, I'm healthy.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
She opened up about the physical pain the whole experience caused her.
“It kind of hurt coming out. Of course I went under for it, but it was so bad that they had to put a drain in,” she said in the video. “But everything went well. I feel really blessed to be working with such great doctors.”
At the end of the video, Williams is seen visiting the American Girl doll star with her daughter Olympia while she is still recovering from surgery.
“Mom is suffering, but mom has to keep showing up,” Williams says in the video, in which she is seen wearing bandages.
Serena Williams suggests father should coach 6-year-old daughter 'because I'm too kind'
Serena Williams is shown during the US Open women's final on September 7, 2019. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)
Williams said she found a lump on her neck in May. She had an MRI scan, but was told it didn't need to be removed if she didn't want it, so they didn't have it removed. But then she said “the tumor continued to grow” and underwent further tests, including a biopsy, which came back negative for cancer.
Still, doctors said it would be better for her to undergo surgery.
“They said I didn't have to remove it if I didn't want it,” Williams wrote. “So I didn't get infected, but it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I decided to get more tests done, three tests and one biopsy. After that, they all came back negative. My doctor advised me to remove it as soon as possible as it is the size of a small grapefruit and could become infected or worse, leak. ”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Serena Williams arrives in Paris before the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Natasha Pisarenko)
According to the Cleveland Clinic, an arm cleft cyst is a small fluid-filled sac that looks like a lump under the skin on the side of your neck. It is most often seen in children, but adults can also be infected. Although they are usually non-cancerous, doctors usually recommend surgery to remove them.
During her tennis career, Williams won 23 Grand Slam titles in singles and an additional 14 doubles titles. She was ranked No. 1 in the WTA rankings for 319 weeks, won four Olympic gold medals, and was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year five times.
Williams announced her retirement just before playing in her final tournament, the 2022 U.S. Open.
Follow sports coverage on Fox News Digital on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
