Serena Williams ‘Almost Died’ During One of the Biggest Moments of Her Life

When you’re talking about tennis, it’s tough to get any bigger than Serena Williams. During her time on the court, she’s done just about everything possible; that includes winning 23 Grand Slam.

singles titles, spending more than 300 weeks at world number one, and taking home more than $90 million in prize money. The tennis legend’s career, however, almost ended in tragedy.

Giving birth and cheating death in 2017

In September 2017, Serena Williams gave birth to her daughter, Olympia. While that moment should have been full of celebration, the tennis star found herself staring death square in the face within 24 hours.

“It began with a pulmonary embolism, which is a condition in which one or more arteries in the lungs becomes blocked by a blood clot,” Williams explained in a CNN column.

“Because of my medical history with this problem, I live in fear of this situation. So, when I fell short of breath, I didn’t wait a second to alert the nurses.”

Her issues didn’t end there, though. Even after seeking help, Williams could have died due to a variety of complications.

“First, my C-section wound popped open due to the intense coughing I endured as a result of the embolism,” she wrote. “I returned to surgery, where the doctors found a large hematoma, a swelling of clotted blood, in my abdomen. And then.

I returned to the operating room for a procedure that prevents clots from traveling to my lungs. When I finally made it home to my family, I had to spend the first six weeks of motherhood in bed.”

Even a near-death experience couldn’t stop Serena Williams

As anyone who has ever watched her on the court can confirm, Serena Williams is one fierce competitor. She proved that again by returning to the court after he near-death experience.

Although she’s only won one tournament—the 2020 Aukland Open—since giving birth, it’s impressive that Serena Williams returned to professional tennis at all. Over the years, she’s beaten plenty of opponents on the court; now, she’s also beaten death.