Tennis is a very demanding and tiring sport. Professionals need to be at their best to excel and even maintain their stand in the game. It follows a hectic schedule and almost cuts participants off from other aspects of life. Players often make the sport their priority and everything takes a secondary status, which can for sure have negative outcomes. Like the time Serena Williams brushed off a major disease by thinking she was just lacking in form.

The 23 times Grand Slam champion was suffering from a deadly disease around 2011. However, she wasn’t aware of it and took it lightly until the medical reports said otherwise. Here’s her confession, regarding the same.

Serena Williams about her experience

Williams, before making a comeback in the greens of Eastbourne International, spoke about her lung surgery, and what went through her mind the entire time. She said, “I had several clots bilaterally, in both lungs. I couldn’t breathe. I honestly just thought I was out of shape.”

Thereafter, the former World no.1 added, “I thought I needed to get on the treadmill or something. (The doctors) just said it could have gotten a lot serious a day later or two days later. It could have possibly been career-ending…

“I’ve had some serious health problems, and I was literally on my deathbed at one point in my career or my life. This is like a totally different road where I’m more or less thinking, okay, I have nothing to lose at this point.” Williams suffered from pulmonary embolism. It is a disease caused by blood clots that travel from legs, veins and other body parts to the pulmonary artery of the lungs.

Read more: ‘No One Way to Cook a Chicken’ – Serena Williams Gets Cheeky With Drew Barrymore About Her ‘Handsome’ Husband Alexis Ohanian

Further, the blockage results in severe chest pain, cough and shortness of breath, which keeps on getting worse with time. Therefore, Williams had to undergo urgent surgery for the same.

Williams’ relationship with Eastbourne

The Eastbourne International is the seven times Wimbledon champion’s strongest game surface on the grass courts. Therefore, Williams usually chooses the England-based WTA 500 event for her comebacks. In 2011, after suffering from a foot injury, she was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. She rejoined the circuit through Aegon International and made it to the second round of the tournament that year.

Watch this story: Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian makes artistic pancakes for daughter Olympia

Further, jumping to the present, this season before retiring from the sport, the American legend chose the doubles of the Eastbourne International to make her comeback. Williams took a year gap due to a hamstring injury, but she executed a run till the quarterfinals alongside the Tunisian star Ons Jabeur.