Serena Williams opens up about life-threatening pregnancy complications and the experience that changed her forever

Serena Williams knows what it means to fight through pain when the world is watching. But one of her toughest battles came away from the tennis court, after the birth of her first daughter. Years later, the 23-time Grand Slam champion is still speaking openly about the experience. Her story has become more than a personal account. It has helped her understand how widely women can struggle to be heard when they need medical care.Serena Williams recalls the pregnancy complications that changed her outlookWilliams welcomed her daughter, Alexis Olympia, with husband Alexis Ohanian in 2017. The birth quickly became a medical emergency when she needed an emergency C-section.Her problems did not end after delivery. A coughing fit caused her wound to reopen, and doctors discovered a large hematoma in her abdomen. She then faced a pulmonary embolism, a serious condition involving a blood clot that blocks an artery in the lungs. The complications led to several surgeries and a six-day medical ordeal.For Williams, one of the most important parts of the experience was realizing how vital it was to speak up when something felt wrong.“I knew something was wrong with me and it was super important that I was heard,” Williams shared during the Forbes Power Women’s Summit 2026. “Thankfully, my doctor listened to me. The nurses did, but I was so fortunate enough to have a doctor that did and literally saved my life.”That experience stayed with her.Williams has since spoken about the difficulties women can face during pregnancy and after childbirth. At first, she believed her experience might have been linked mainly to her background. As she heard from other women, however, her perspective changed.“You know, when I told my story, I didn’t realize how many people could relate,” Williams shared during the summit. “And then at first I thought it was just a minority problem, but then I realized it’s a women’s problem.”Her observation points to something bigger than one difficult birth. Women from different backgrounds can face frightening experiences during maternity care, and Williams has used her platform to draw attention to those concerns.Serena Williams uses her experience to advocate for women's healthcareWilliams has not kept her story private. She has repeatedly used her public profile to push for better healthcare access, especially for women and communities that can face barriers to quality treatment.She also brought some humour to a serious conversation when discussing how different she believes healthcare might look if men experienced childbirth.“So many women from every single background had a nightmare’s tale of their birth, you know? And so— and then it boiled down to I thought, ‘Well, gosh, if men were giving birth, they would have sweets [and] like all kinds of medicines,’ ” she jokingly added. “So it wouldn’t be the same problem at all.”Her advocacy now extends into her work with the Reckitt Catalyst program, where she has served as the first entrepreneur-in-residence. The initiative supports entrepreneurs developing solutions in areas including health, hygiene, water and sanitation.For Williams, the work is personal. She understands that healthcare affects entire families, not just individual patients.“What these women are doing is they’re really letting us know that women’s healthcare is so important, and healthcare in general, because also we’re talking about women who take care of the kids, you know, I take care of my kids mostly,” she explained.Her own family has since grown. Williams and Ohanian welcomed their second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August 2023.The tennis icon has also shared practical ideas for improving maternal care. In a 2018 CNN opinion piece, she pointed to access to midwives, functioning health facilities, clean water, basic medicines, nutrition, breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact as areas that can make a difference.Her message remains direct.“Together, we can make this change,” she said at the time. “Together, we can be the change.”For Serena Williams, the story of her first pregnancy is no longer only about what happened to her. It has become part of a much larger mission. By speaking about the moment she needed doctors to listen, she hopes more women will be heard before a crisis becomes life-threatening.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.