"My first win after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease" - Venus Williams opens up on 2012 WTA title after battle with Sjogren's Syndrome

Former World No. 1 Venus Williams recently reminisced about winning the 2012 BGL Luxembourg Open, which was her first title on the WTA Tour after being diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome in 2011.

Williams rose to the top of women's tennis at the turn of the century, winning seven Major titles and spending 11 weeks as the World No. 1. However, the American's results declined considerably by 2010. A year later, it emerged that the American was suffering from Sjogren's syndrome — an autoimmoune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain.

After being diagnosed in September 2011, Venus Williams didn't play any competitive tournament for a few months, causing her ranking to fall outside the top 100. The then-31-year-old also withdrew from the 2012 Australian Open, which cast a shadow over her career.

Williams, however, eventually dispelled any doubts about her game in fine fashion. A consistent run of results brought her ranking back inside the WTA top 50, setting the tone for her 44th career title at the Luxembourg Open in October 2012.

On Thursday (February 8), the seven-time Major winner fondly looked back at her WTA Tier-III title, which was her first after being diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome.

"My first singles win after coming back from nearly a year layoff after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. The racquet actually broke off and it just got fixed," Venus Williams wrote on her Instagram stories.

A screenshot of Williams' Instagram story

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Venus Williams won the 2012 Luxembourg Open as an unseeded player

Venus Williams looks on at the 2012 US Open

Venus Williams started her campaign at the 2012 Luxembourg Open in style, beating the up-and-coming Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-1 in the first round. The American fought past ninth-seeded Mona Barthel 7-6(4), 6-4 in her next match to reach the quarterfinals.

Williams sprung an upset over then-World No. 15 Roberta Vinci in their last-eight clash, winning 7-6(2), 6-4. She faced some resistance from German wildcard Andrea Petkovic in the semifinals, overcoming a set deficit to go through 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to the final in Luxembourg.

The championship match saw Williams comfortably beat Romania's Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-3 to secure her 44th career triumph on the WTA Tour. The American has won five more singles titles since then.