Serena Williams reveals she had surgery to remove Cyst from her neck

Tennis legend Serena Williams has shared that she recently had a benign cyst, described as “the size of a small grapefruit,” removed from her neck.

The 43-year-old gave the update from a hospital bed, reassuring her fans that “all is OK.” In a social media video, Williams explained that she first noticed a lump on her neck in May. After an MRI scan, doctors told her the cyst didn’t need to be removed unless she wanted to.

At first, Williams decided not to have surgery, but the cyst continued to grow. “It kept getting bigger,” she said, adding, “I missed so many things like the Glamour Woman of the Year Awards and Rafael Nadal’s retirement, but health always comes first.”

After more tests and a biopsy, doctors confirmed the cyst was harmless but advised immediate removal to prevent infection or complications. “I’m so grateful everything worked out,” Williams said. “I still managed to take Olympia to American Girl as I promised. And yes, everything is OK!”

Despite the surgery, Williams showed no signs of illness during recent public appearances. Last month, she was spotted jogging with fans at a Green Day concert in Los Angeles.

The former world number one has been enjoying time with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their two daughters, Olympia, 7, and Adira, 1, since stepping away from tennis in 2022.

Williams, who turned 43 in September, won 23 Grand Slam singles titles during her career, just one short of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24. Known for her dominance, Williams held the WTA No. 1 ranking for 319 weeks.

Her legendary run from the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open included victories in all four Grand Slam finals, beating her sister Venus Williams each time. Her final Grand Slam win came at the 2017 Australian Open.

Though she’s retired, Williams remains one of the most celebrated athletes in tennis history, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.