Key Takeaways
- Serena Williams said her near-fatal childbirth experience showed her that inadequate maternal care is “a women’s problem,” joking that “if men were giving birth, they would have sweets [and] all kinds of medicines.”
- After delivering daughter Olympia by emergency C-section in 2017, Williams pushed doctors to investigate her breathing problems and ultimately underwent multiple surgeries for a pulmonary embolism, reopened incision, and abdominal hematoma.
- Williams now advocates for women—especially Black mothers—to have their medical concerns heard and supports underrepresented health entrepreneurs through Reckitt Catalyst.
Serena Williams can joke about childbirth now, but the experience that sparked her advocacy for better maternal healthcare nearly killed her.
Speaking at the 2026 Forbes Power Women’s Summit in New York City, Williams reflected on the life-threatening complications she experienced after giving birth to her first daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017. After years of publicly discussing what happened, Williams said she eventually realized just how many women had their own frightening stories about pregnancy and childbirth.
“You know, when I told my story, I didn’t realize how many people could relate,” Williams said, per People. “And then at first I thought it was just a minority problem, but then I realized it’s a women’s problem.”
Williams, 44, then used some humor to make her point.
“So many women from every single background had a nightmare’s tale of their birth,” she said. “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.’ So, it wouldn’t be the same problem at all.”
The joke comes with serious history. Williams underwent an emergency C-section while delivering Olympia, her first child with husband Alexis Ohanian. She had a history of blood clots and soon developed difficulty breathing after giving birth. Williams previously detailed how she pushed medical personnel to investigate what she believed was another pulmonary embolism.
She was right.
Williams subsequently endured a pulmonary embolism, multiple surgeries, and other complications. A coughing spell caused her C-section wound to reopen, and doctors later discovered a large hematoma in her abdomen. Her recovery ultimately kept her in the hospital for about a week.
“I knew something was wrong with me and it was super important that I was heard,” Williams said at the summit. “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.”
Williams has spent years connecting her experience to the broader maternal health crisis, including the disproportionately high risks faced by Black mothers. In a 2018 CNN essay and subsequent public statements, she has urged women to be heard when they raise concerns about their bodies and to demand greater access to quality maternal care.
Her experience has also informed her work outside tennis. Williams currently serves as entrepreneur-in-residence for Reckitt Catalyst, which supports women and underrepresented entrepreneurs developing solutions in health, hygiene, water and sanitation.
“With the program, we’re able to actually solve a lot of issues,” Williams said.
Williams and Ohanian welcomed their second daughter, Adira River, in August 2023. Ohanian announced at the time that both mother and baby were healthy.
The conversation comes during another remarkable chapter for Williams. After nearly four years away from professional competition, she returned to tennis at 44 this summer, including an appearance at Wimbledon that Novak Djokovic recently called “epic.”
