NEW YORK — Serena Williams mentioned she had a benign branchial cyst “the dimensions of a small grapefruit” faraway from her neck and “all is OK.”
The retired tennis star, 43, posted Wednesday on social media that she discovered a lump on her neck in Could, had an MRI examination, and was informed she did not must get it eliminated if she did not wish to. So she did not then, “nevertheless it stored rising,” Williams mentioned.
After extra assessments, together with a biopsy that was detrimental for most cancers, Williams mentioned, her medical doctors mentioned she ought to have a process.
She confirmed video of herself in a hospital mattress and wrote: “So that is me eradicating it. I’m feeling so grateful, and lucky every little thing labored out, and most of all I am wholesome.”
In a separate social media publish, she mentioned she is “nonetheless recovering, however getting higher. Well being at all times comes first.”
Williams introduced her retirement — famously eschewing that time period and saying as a substitute she was “evolving” away from skilled tennis — shortly earlier than enjoying within the 2022 US Open, her final event.
She gained 23 Grand Slam titles in singles, probably the most by a girl within the sport’s skilled period, and one other 14 in doubles along with her older sister Venus. Serena Williams spent greater than 300 weeks at No. 1 within the WTA rankings and picked up 4 Olympic gold medals.