Serena Williams has surgery to remove cyst size of ‘a small grapefruit’ from her neck

Tennis legend Serena Williams says she recently underwent surgery to remove a branchial cyst "the size of a grapefruit" from her neck.

Williams said she found the lump back in May and initially opted against surgery after several tests confirmed it was benign.

However, she was later advised by doctors to get it removed because "it kept growing" and was at risk of getting infected.

Branchial cleft cysts are sacs filled with fluid found in the neck and can appear as lumps or swelling under the skin. They can range from one centimetre to 10cm in size and are "benign lesions", according to the National Institutes of Health.

In a video posted to TikTok, the 23-time grand slam champion said she was "feeling good" after the surgery and recorded herself going shopping with daughter Olympia.

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

"I still made it to American (Girl) doll with Olympia as promised. And yes, all is OK."

Williams said she missed Rafael Nadal announcing his retirement while she was undergoing surgery.

"I am still recovering, but getting better," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Health always comes first."

Williams, who turned 43 in September, last played competitive tennis at her farewell at the 2022 US Open.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, her 23 grand slam titles are an Open era record and one shy of the all-time record held by Margaret Court.

Williams also won 14 grand slam doubles titles with sister Venus and four Olympic gold medals.

-CNN