Tennis star Serena Williams undergoes operation to extract a grapefruit-sized cyst from her neck area.
She discovered the lump back in May, and despite tests confirming it as harmless, she decided against surgery initially. However, doctors suggested a change of plan due to its continuous growth and risk of infection.
Branchial cleft cysts, fluid-filled sacs in the neck, can present as lumps or skin swelling and can grow from a centimeter to almost four inches, classified as "benign lesions" by the National Institutes of Health.
In a TikTok video, the 23-time grand slam champion shared that she's feeling well post-surgery, accompanying her daughter Olympia on a shopping spree.
"I'm so grateful and fortunate things turned out this way, and above all, I'm healthy," she said. "I even managed to tick off the American Girl doll shopping with Olympia. Everything's good."
She also lamented missing out on her contemporary Rafael Nadal's retirement announcement during her surgery.
Updating her followers on X, previously known as Twitter, she wrote, "I'm still recovering, but getting better. Health always comes first."
At 43, she last stepped onto a competitive tennis court at her 2022 US Open farewell.
Considered one of the finest tennis players in history with 23 grand slam titles, she's just one title shy of the all-time record held by Margaret Court. Williams also boasts 14 grand slam doubles titles with her sister Venus and four Olympic gold medals.
Despite her love for tennis, the ongoing surgery prevented her from witnessing Rafael Nadal's retirement announcement in tennis, a significant event in the sport. Post-surgery, she expressed her joy at being able to attend an American Girl doll shopping trip with her daughter, demonstrating her dedication to family even amidst her tennis career.
