Serena Williams is revealing for the first time that she was forced to endure multiple surgeries in the days after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia.

The tennis star, 36, tells Vogue that the problems began after Alexis Olympia's heart rate started to drop during her delivery and it was decided that the best option would be to have Serena undergo an emergency c-section.

'That was an amazing feeling, and then everything went bad,' said Williams.

The day after the birth, Williams was experiencing a shortness of breath and told the staff that she was concerned that she had developed blood clots.