Serena undergoes surgery for 'grapefruit-sized' cyst removal

Tennis great Serena Williams is recovering from surgery to remove a large cyst on her neck.

Williams, 43, posted the news to social media on Wednesday, saying she had a benign branchial cyst "the size of a small grapefruit" removed.

She ended the note accompanying a photo of her in a hospital bed with the message "all is OK."

Williams, who won 73 WTA Tour titles and nearly $100 million during her career, said she discovered a lump on her neck in May and doctors told her that surgery to remove it was optional.

She said she passed on surgery until it started to grow and her medical team recommended its removal because the cyst could become infected or start to leak.

"I am feeling so grateful, and fortunate everything worked out, and most of all I'm healthy," she said.

Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and was ranked No. 1 in the world for more than 300 weeks. Her final competition was the 2022 U.S. Open.