Venus Williams, a global tennis icon and multimillionaire, faced a battle off the court that no amount of fame or fortune could shield her from. Despite debilitating symptoms from fibroids—pain so intense she sometimes couldn’t stand—doctors repeatedly dismissed her concerns. “One doctor told me, at the time I was like 37, ‘Eh, this is part of aging, this is normal,’” she recalled.
As a Black woman, Williams’ experience reflects a broader crisis. Black women are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with fibroids, and their symptoms are often more severe. Yet, their pain is too often minimized. “She is a Black woman who had to play through her pain because that is what we do,” the article noted.
Before the 2016 Wimbledon doubles final, Williams lay on the locker room floor in agony. “Thank God, Serena went and got the doctor,” she said. She played—and won—but at what cost?
It took seeing 12 doctors before she found someone who truly listened. At NYU Langone’s Center for Fibroid Care, Dr. Taraneh Shirazian offered a myomectomy. “Because I know it will make you feel better,” she told Williams.
Now recovering, Williams reflects on the toll. “I never had enough energy to play a real match the way I wanted to,” she said. “Of course it affected my results.” Her message is clear: “You can be denied the best healthcare no matter who you are.”
“Venus Williams Got Gaslit About Her Fibroids” (July 12, 2025)
