Meanwhile, the average 65-year-old now needs $165,000 in after-tax dollars to cover healthcare expenses during retirement, up 5% from 2023, according to the latest data from Fidelity. While Williams’s comments were likely tongue in cheek, they do highlight how expensive and confusing navigating the healthcare system can be.

Champion tennis player Venus Williams says she’s coming out of retirement because she needs health insurance, but industry experts say her example shows how little Americans understand their health care options.