23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams is a woman of superlative strength, endurance, and determination. Her stellar on-court displays during a long and trophy-laden career were proof of that. However, in September 2017, Williams had an off-court experience that left a deep and lasting emotional scar. It came following the delivery of her daughter Olympia, and it almost took her life. Ultimately, however, Serena’s love for life and family ensured that she stayed among the living.

In a recent tweet, Williams shared a few words of wisdom regarding crying. According to the 41-year-old, who is expecting her second child with husband Alexis Ohanian, crying is often mistakenly perceived as a sign of weakness in people.

Strength over a long period can lead to tears, claims Serena Williams in a thought-provoking tweet

Tears happen to be a natural reflex in humans. While extreme happiness can result in ‘tears of joy’, more often than not, they are brought about by sadness. For a long time, society has made the mistake of associating crying with psychological weakness. Serena Williams took to Twitter and shared her opinion on crying.

In her tweet, Williams wrote, “Some people cry not because they are weak… but because they have been strong for too long”. It’s fair to say that on this occasion, Williams’ tweet wasn’t just a tweet. It was a reflection of something very real that the strongest of people have to face from time to time in their lives.

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Williams herself couldn’t stop her tears from flowing back in September 2017. At the time, she was battling tooth and nail to survive following daughter Olympia’s complicated birth.

Why did tears overwhelm the tennis legend in 2017? September 2017 marked a beautiful milestone for Serena Williams. After all, she became a mother for the first time following the birth of her daughter Olympia. However, the birth itself was an ugly affair. Williams had to undergo an emergency C-section owing to certain complications.

Williams would have thought that the complications were done after the emergency C-section was declared a success by doctors. Unfortunately, blood clots formed in her lungs due to the procedure. As a result, Williams couldn’t breathe. Thankfully, Williams had the sense to warn a nearby nurse about her declining health. Following two more surgeries and a week-long stay at the hospital, the doctors finally declared Williams safe to return home.