Serena Williams reveals she had grapefruit-sized cyst removed from neck

ByKatie Kindelan ABCNews logo
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 3:30PM

Serena Williams is opening up about a recent health scare, revealing she had a grapefruit-sized cyst removed from her neck.

Williams, 43, shared in a TikTok video Tuesday that she first noticed a lump on her neck in May.

After undergoing testing, the mother-of-two said she learned the cyst was benign but said she noticed it "kept growing" on her skin.

When the cyst grew to be the size of a grapefruit, Williams said she was advised by her doctors to have it removed to prevent it from leaking or becoming infected.

"So this is me removing it," Williams captioned the video, which showed clips of her in the hospital after surgery. "I am feeli[n]g so grateful and fortunate everything worked out, and most of all, I'm healthy."

The end of the video shows Williams going to an American Girl doll star with her eldest daughter, Olympia, while still recovering from the surgery.

"Mommy is suffering, but mom has to keep showing up," Williams says in the video, in which she is seen wearing a bandage.

In addition to Olympia, Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian are also the parents of a 1-year-old daughter named Adira.

Williams most recently hosted the 2024 ESPY Awards in July, just two months after first noticing the lump on her neck.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion told ABC News' Will Reeve at the time that she was staying busy after stepping back from her professional tennis career in 2022.

"It's really busy and it's really fun to be Serena right now," Williams said. "I love it."

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