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With 23 Grand Slam victories under her belt, Serena Williams is one of the most successful athletes of all time. And now Williams is opening up about her own health struggles – specifically her battle with “debilitating” migraines.
Keep reading for more details.
Williams opened up to People about how too much time on the computer and too much stress became triggers for these migraines. She explained that high-stakes tennis games are "obviously the most high-stress" activities for her, but admitted that she had grown "so used to playing throughout the pain."
Other activities – ones that were not part of her everyday routine – became triggers as well. "I think things that I'm not used to — because I don't usually do it 24/7 — like working on my venture fund and taking care of a child and doing my fashion company," she said of what prompted the migraine attacks.
These migraines affected Williams' ability to spend time with her daughter Olympia, inspiring her to look for a medication that worked for her. "It was harder for me to sit there and say, 'I can't go to the park because I'm not feeling well,'" Williams explained. "I would say I have a boo-boo, and I had to just work through it in the past."
Williams now takes Ubrelvy to manager her migraines, which she says gives her "relief."
Besides the medication, Williams has also started setting firmer boundaries to manage stress. "I have really good boundaries now, so I know when I'm supposed to do things and what I'm not supposed to do things. So I know when I play tennis, I know when I do my business," she said.
