?I Could Hardly Breathe?- When Serena Williams Couldn?t Handle the Pain From Pulmonary Embolism

Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the finest players ever to have graced the sport. Though she perhaps isn’t like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who laid the foundation of the WTA, she sure did bring zeal and strengthened the foundation of women’s tennis. However, it doesn’t mean her journey was set on a silk route. Williams faced her fair share of hardships along the way to sporting greatness.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion was at the peak of her career when an injury topped with a health issue threw her off track. In 2011, she was struggling with a gruesome foot injury, when a lung disorder struck her.

Serena Williams’ struggle

Williams had already been kept out of the circuit for almost 12 months owing to a cut on her foot when she stumbled upon pulmonary embolism. After attending the Oscars of that year, she experienced difficulty in breathing and on a physiotherapist’s insistence, opted for medical help. The disruption, as per Serena Williams, “got to the stage where it felt like I could hardly breathe.”

“Some days I didn’t get out of bed at all. I just laid on a couch thinking, why has this happened to me? The second surgery was tough. More mentally tough than a lot of things I’ve been through, including my sister dying. This has given me a whole new perspective on life and my career.”

Thereafter, she added, “I’m just taking one day at a time. I’m not preparing for today or for Wimbledon. I’m preparing for the rest of my career.” Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the pulmonary artery in the lung. It is caused by a blood clot that travels to the lungs from the deep veins of different body parts. In order to remove the clot, the former world number one had to extend her break and undergo multiple surgeries.

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Serena Williams made a comeback in the greens of Eastbourne and made a run till the second round. Following that, she slowly reclaimed her peak over a year and came out victorious in the 2012 Wimbledon Championships.

Williams’ comeback

The American bounced back quickly from her struggles. In 2012, after clinching the Wimbledon title, she clinched the trophy at the US Open and defended it in the next season. Further, she shined in the doubles category as well. Williams, alongside her elder sister Venus Williams, claimed the doubles of both Wimbledon and the London Olympics.

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Also, Williams received her first-ever singles gold medal as well. The 40-year-old, after successfully keeping her record intact by reaching the third round of the US Open, said goodbye to her legendary career on 3rd September at the 2022 US Open.