Venus Williams rose to prominence through the years and is now regarded as one of the best players in the world, but there was a point when she believed her tennis career was over. The American tennis great received a bizarre medical diagnosis back in 2011. Nearly ten years later, the tennis player opened up about what it was like to battle the illness.

Together with Serena Williams, her younger sister, they have altered the perception of women in sports. 

Williams opens up about her health struggles

Venus Williams undoubtedly once ruled tennis, but in 2011 she began to experience rheumatic symptoms that eventually forced her to cease competing. The seven-time Grand Slam winner fought with her own body; recently, she shared on Instagram about her battles with the autoimmune condition Sjogren’s syndrome.

The former world number one captioned the picture, “In 2011, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Sjögren’s Syndrome. The joint pain and fatigue were impacting my ability to function on a daily basis. I reached a point where I couldn’t play tennis anymore. As a fierce competitor, I wanted to conquer this thing and wasn’t going to let anything take me down, so I started on my complete wellness journey.”

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 She shared a video that had a lot of small clips that displayed her tennis journey. She then also talked about the Wellness brand that has helped her throughout her journey. Williams also talked about plant-based living and how she managed to come back to the sport and live her dream again. 

Venus Williams Career Highlights

The former world number one is nearing the conclusion of her tennis career, but throughout her active years, she made noteworthy contributions to the game. She was the first African American to hold the top tennis ranking in the world, and she and her sister have both won four Olympic tennis gold medals for the nation.

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Throughout her career, the American tennis pro has participated in 80 Grand Slam singles draws. Serena Williams, her younger sister, made a transition away from sports earlier this year, but the older sister still continues to play.