July 5, 2025
Williams is opened up about her decades-long struggle with uterine fibroids.
Tennis legend Venus Williams is no stranger to pushing through pain. With seven Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals to her name, she has long been celebrated for her resilience on the court. But now, the 45-year-old athlete is speaking out about a different kind of battle, one she fought quietly for decades with the help of Dr. Taraneh Shirazian: uterine fibroids.
In a recent interview with Self, Williams revealed that she has suffered from painful periods and other symptoms associated with fibroids for most of her life.
Fibroids are defined by noncancerous growths in the uterus can lead to heavy bleeding and chronic discomfort, and they affect Black women at significantly higher rates.
Research shows that by age 50, as many as 80% of women will develop fibroids, with Black women three times more likely to experience them, often at younger ages and with more severe symptoms than their white counterparts.
“I remember playing my first French Open when I was 16,” Williams recalled.
“Before the second round, I was waiting for my match and I was just hugging the toilet bowl. I was losing my lunch over period pains.”
Despite the severity of her symptoms, Williams said she never received a clear diagnosis until 2016, and even then, treatment options were limited.
“They would tell me we’ll just watch it,” she said. “The only thing offered to me was a hysterectomy.”
She expressed that she was forced to rely on painkillers for relief.
“I had those pills with me everywhere,” Williams said. “I could never be caught anywhere without my pain pills. Getting caught in that kind of pain is a disaster.”
By 2024, after years of being dismissed and inadequately treated, Williams took matters into her own hands.
While scrolling on Instagram, she came across an ad for a fibroid clinic and realized new options were finally available.
Williams eventually connected with Dr. Shirazian, a board-certified gynecologist and director of the Center for Fibroid Care at NYU Langone.
“It was amazing for me because I was able to talk to someone who felt confident that they could treat me,” Williams said.
Dr. Shirazian takes a holistic, long-term approach to treating fibroids—an approach that stands in stark contrast to the “watch and wait” advice Williams had previously received.
Her treatment philosophy views fibroids not as a one-time issue but as a chronic condition requiring individualized, ongoing care. Dr. Shirazian examines not only the physical symptoms, but also how fibroids impact a patient’s quality of life, fertility, and mental health.
During her evaluation, Williams soon learned that she had an adenomyoma, a condition where the uterine lining grows into the uterine wall.
“I was the first person to ever tell her [about the condition],” Dr. Shirazian said.
“You could tell she had never heard of an adenomyoma before. When you hear something for the first time, you need time to really understand and decide what to do.”
Williams opted for a uterine-sparing surgery to remove the fibroids.
“Surgery completely removes disease,” Dr. Shirazian explained. “Given her history and symptoms, that was the best option.”
Williams underwent the procedure in July 2024. Within days, she was back on her feet, and after a month, she felt fully recovered.
“I went through a lot,” Williams said. “And you would imagine I’d have access to the best health care—and I did. But I still didn’t have the best health care until I went to NYU.”
Now, she’s hoping her story will inspire others—especially Black women—to speak up, ask questions, and advocate for themselves in a healthcare system that often fails them.
“As a patient, you have to be your own advocate,” Dr. Shirazian said. “If you don’t know what’s wrong with you in the first place, you never even know to bring it up.”
Dr. Shirazian, who partners with advocacy groups like The White Dress Project to educate Black communities and women about fibroids, echoed that message.
“They share information on doctors and hospitals offering quality care across the country,” she said. “Raising awareness is how we close these gaps.”
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