‘Fought So Hard’ – Serena Williams Emotional After Sister Venus Williams Lays Bare Her Journey of ‘Excruciating Pain’ With Fibroids

Serena Williams became emotional as her sister Venus Williams opened up about the excruciating pain caused by fibroids during the height of her tennis career.

In a recent interview with SELF magazine, published on Thursday, July 3, Venus opened up about her long and painful battle with uterine fibroids, a condition she has been struggling with for decades.

Serena Williams Gets Emotional After Sister Venus Williams Opens Up About Health Battle

Venus recently opened up about her struggle with painful periods caused by fibroids, noncancerous growths in or on the uterus that can lead to heavy bleeding and significant discomfort.

She was officially diagnosed with the condition in 2016 at age 36. Since then, she has managed it with medication, opting against permanent treatment, at least until recently.

Following the article’s release, Serena took to Instagram to show support for her sister, Venus. She got emotional as she shared the moment in her Instagram Stories. The 23-time Major champion captioned one of the stories, “Your courage 🥲🥲👏🏿.”

Another story read, “She fought so hard.”

Venus shared behind-the-scenes moments that no one had known before, getting candid in the interview.

Venus Williams Shares Her Tennis Journey While Managing Life with Fibroids

Venus opened up about playing in the French Open for the first time in 1997, revealing the intense pain she endured from uterine fibroids during the tournament.

“I remember playing my first French Open, at the time I was 16,” Venus said. “Before the second round, I was waiting for my match, and I was just hugging the toilet bowl. I was losing my lunch over period pains.”

While her early matches were already daunting, the physical challenges off the court often proved even tougher. Dealing with severe period pain became a recurring obstacle, shaping the way Venus prepared for every match.

“Those are the things behind the scenes you don’t see. I had those pills with me everywhere,” Venus added. “I could never be caught anywhere without my pain pills. Getting caught in that kind of pain is a disaster.”

Although a permanent solution, hysterectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the uterus, was always an option, Venus did not choose it until 2024. That year, she pursued a new treatment at New York University Langone Medical Center and was also diagnosed with adenomyoma, a benign, localized tumor-like mass within the uterine wall.

In July 2024, she underwent surgery and later shared her experience.

“I just remember I went into the [operating room] and I started to get a little afraid again,” Williams recalled. “I went through a lot, and you would imagine that I would have access to the best health care, and I did. But I still didn’t have the best health care.”

The surgery was a success, and the seven-time Grand Slam champion is finally doing well after decades of suffering. Starting next month, she’ll be featured on a new video podcast alongside her younger sister, Serena, in partnership with the social media platform X.