The 42-year-old, 23-time grand slam tennis star revealed to her fans on social media that she wasn't feeling well and then offered a consoling message on mental health.

In an interview, Serena, who had already experienced this state, once stated

"Mental fitness for me is just really learning [ing] to shut down," Williams stated. "And you know I did this years ago before even mental health was a topic in everyone's mind." "It was more like, well, I'm going to shut myself off for the day. It was just something I always did, unconsciously," she said. "And so I constantly have shut-down periods now that I realize how crucial it is to simply put yourself first, especially psychologically. I don't allow anyone to step beyond my very strict bounds."

"It's crucial for me to make sure that, on a daily basis, I have a period of time where I feel like I'm not doing anything for myself; I'm awful at it! And as I've often stated, I'm working on it. Williams said, "And then when I'm turned off, I'm turned off, but more or less, at least prioritizing what I need to do." Over the years, Williams has frequently discussed her mental health, particularly the difficulties she had after the birth of her daughter Alexis Olympia in 2017. She admitted to crying on occasion to TIME back in 2018. "I'm quite depressed. I've lost it sometimes.

 The athlete was forced to spend the next six weeks in bed following her daughter's emergency cesarean delivery due to a pulmonary embolism that almost killed her. She revealed to the source that she struggled with postpartum depression after that and was unable to get over her feelings of grief. Regarding her battle with postpartum depression, Williams told Harper's Bazaar UK, "Honestly, sometimes I still think I have to deal with it." "I believe there should be more conversation about it because it's a component of pregnancy and is comparable to the fourth trimester.