Venus Williams continues to spread awareness about Sjogren's Syndrome

Venus Williams has often spread awareness about Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with in 2011.

April is celebrated as Sjogren's Awareness Month around the world and on the occasion, a 26-year-old woman named Courtney, who has had the disease since she was 22, gave her thoughts about living with it and the importance of treating it.

"It’s important to remember that it’s ok to treat yourself. You deserve it! Living with Sjögren’s can be unpredictable, especially as a student. My best advice is to know that this isn’t your fault and never stop fitting for adequate care," Courtney wrote.

Williams shared the woman's statements on her Instagram story, along with a caption reading:

"Never stop fighting for your health."

Venus Williams' Instagram story

Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome in 2011 and was forced to withdraw from her second-round match against Sabine Lisicki at the US Open. She returned to action in 2012 and went on to win the Luxembourg Open that year, beating Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-3.

Williams won another five tournaments despite having Sjogren's Syndrome, the most notable of which was the Wuhan Open in 2015, where she beat Garbine Muguruza in the final. The last title of her career was the 2016 Taiwan Open, where she beat Misaki Doi 6-4, 6-2 in the title clash.

Apart from her tournament wins, the American has also reached two Grand Slam finals since her diagnosis -- at the 2017 Australian Open and Wimbledon. She lost to her sister Serena Williams at the former and to Garbine Muguruza in the latter.

Venus Williams on living with Sjogren's Syndrome

Venus Williams in action at the 2023 ASB Classic

Venus Williams spoke about her diagnosis in a video shared on her YouTube channel last year, admitting that living with Sjogren's Syndrome every day and managing to make a career out of it wasn't always easy.

"In 2011, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Sjogren's Syndrome," said Williams. "I live with Sjogren's Syndrome every day, and I have continued to find a way to make a life and make a career and make the best life out of it, which isn't always easy, but that's a part of the challenge."

Venus Williams played only four singles matches during the 2022 season, suffering first-round exits at the Citi Open, National Bank Open, Western & Southern Open and US Open.

She started her 2023 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland and booked her place in the second round with a 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Katie Volynets. Here, she lost 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 to Zhu Lin. Williams suffered an injury during her match against Zhu and subsequently withdrew from the Australian Open, and hasn't been back in action since.