Serena Williams Urges Annual Mammograms Over Dense Breasts
The 45-year-old tennis star said she has dense breasts and encouraged women to get screened every year.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Tennis
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Serena Williams posted on X on November 2 that she has very dense breasts and urged women to get annual mammograms. Dense breast tissue can make cancer appear solid white on a mammogram, making it harder to detect.
Why it matters
Women with dense breast tissue have a modestly higher risk of developing breast cancer, a risk similar to having a relative who had the disease. Williams's message highlights why extra vigilance in screening matters for women in the United States.
Williams, 45, has long been one of the most prominent athletes in women's tennis, and her public health message reaches a wide audience of fans. The post does not address any tournament or competition schedule.
The players
Serena Williams
Serena Williams is a retired American professional tennis player and one of the most decorated athletes in the sport's history, now using her platform to share health information.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an independent panel of experts that issues evidence-based recommendations on preventive care, including breast cancer screening guidelines.
The details
Williams shared her message on X, explaining that dense breast tissue is made up of milk glands, ducts, and supportive tissue. She said she has to be extra thorough with her screenings because of her density.
Timeline
October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month ended.
November 2: Williams posted her message on X.
Sports Figures in Health Advocacy
Athletes such as Serena Williams have increasingly used their platforms to promote preventive health messaging, and this post follows the pattern of public figures amplifying official screening guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's age-40 recommendation.
Women who have dense breast tissue should discuss their screening schedule with a doctor, since mammograms may not catch cancer as easily in dense tissue. The task force recommends most women begin mammograms at age 40, so those who haven't started should talk to their provider.
The takeaway
Dense breast tissue can make mammograms harder to read, so women who know they have it may benefit from asking their doctor about annual screening and whether additional imaging is appropriate for them.
Further reading
Follow more of the latest coverage in our Tennis section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by People.
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