"I had to deal with circumstances that people don't normally have to deal with" - When Venus Williams refused to 'give up' after shock Wimbledon loss

Venus Williams' campaign at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, following a prolonged period of health struggles, did not pan out as she had hoped. However, the American explained why she had no intention of considering retirement despite her shocking loss.

Williams was forced to withdraw from the 2011 US Open and cut her season short after being diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, which is an incurable autoimmune disease that causes fatigue, dryness, and muscle and joint pain. Amid her absence on tour, the American fell out of the top 100 in the rankings and ended the year as the World No. 102.

After missing the 2012 Australian Open while dealing with the effects of Sjögren’s syndrome, Venus Williams eventually made her long-awaited return to the tour by reaching back-to-back quarterfinals at the Miami Open and the Charleston Open. Subsequently, the American's claycourt season ended with a disappointing second-round loss at the French Open.

Williams then entered the Wimbledon Championships as an unseeded player and would've been relying on her experience as a five-time champion to make a deep run at SW19. However, the American suffered a crushing 6-1, 6-3 loss to then-World No. 79 Elena Vesnina.

When questioned about how she would stay motivated to continue her career after the London Olympics, Venus Williams asserted that she was still capable of playing great tennis.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion pointed out that she had to endure far more difficult challenges than most players and made it clear that she wouldn't give up simply because she was struggling on her return to the tour.

"I feel like I am a great player. I am a great player. Unfortunately, I had a deal with circumstances that people don't normally have to deal with in this sport. But I can't be discouraged by that, so I'm up for challenges. I have great tennis in me. I just need the opportunity," Williams said in her post-match press conference.

"There's no way I'm just going to sit down and give up just because I have a hard time the first five or six freakin' tournaments back. You know, that's just not me," she added.

Venus Williams also said that she wanted to move on from the loss and turn her attention to the women's doubles event, having teamed up with her sister Serena Williams.

Venus Williams and Serena Williams won the women's doubles title at Wimbledon 2012

Serena Williams and Venus Williams - Source: Getty

Despite her disappointing loss in singles, Venus Williams did taste success at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. She joined forces with her sister Serena Williams to clinch the women's doubles title at the grasscourt Major, beating Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 6-4 in the final.

The Williams sisters also emerged victorious on their return to the All England Club for the London Olympics. They successfully defended their title by claiming a 6-4, 6-4 win over Hlavackova and Hradecka from the Czech Republic. On the singles side, Germany's Angelique Kerber defeated Venus 7-6(5), 7-6(5) in the third round.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams secured a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory against Russia's Maria Sharapova to take home the gold medal, just days after she had won her fifth Wimbledon title.