Some individuals are just cut from a different cloth than the rest of us. Sometimes, those individuals take the rest of us out of our comfort zone. When we talk about Serena Williams, she knows exactly how it feels to be out of her comfort zone. 

Early in her tennis career, having been diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease, the 40-year-old’s career came very close to a halt as she nearly lost her life to tennis back in 2011. 

A career with unpredictability written all over

When you’re on your way to the Oscars party, you’ve got to be feeling pretty good about life, right? But then something happens… And suddenly, you can’t breathe. It turns out that Serena Williams was in serious trouble. 

“I was on my death bed at one point – quite literally. I’ve had a serious illness, but at first I didn’t appreciate that,” said the gutsy American.

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She further went on to state that “At first people said it would be fine, it would be all right, but it turned out to be a lot more serious. If it had been left two days later it could have been career-ending – or even worse. They told me I had several blood clots in both lungs. A lot of people die from that.”

An early exit for Serena Williams

Serena Williams’ third-round loss at the US Open may have been the last time we see her in action. After a heartbreaking defeat, Williams is likely to retire from tennis after 23 Grand Slam victories.

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Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia defeated her with a score of 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1. Prior to the tournament, Williams announced that her tennis career would come to an end. 

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Serena Williams has dedicated her life to continuing a legacy and has built quite an inspiring one for herself. She is undoubtedly one of the most decorated tennis players of all time. Regardless of whether she retires, Serena’s career is already one for the history books.