Venus Williams recalls her first tournament win after coming back from autoimmune disease layoff at Luxembourg

Venus Williams recently shared a throwback picture of her title win at the 2012 Luxembourg Open, where she won her first title after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. The 43-year-old said the tournament meant a lot to her and that she never gave up on her dreams despite the challenges she faced.

In 2011, Williams revealed that she was suffering from Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes fatigue, joint pain, and dryness of the eyes and mouth. She took a seven-month break from tennis and returned to action in March 2012 but struggled to find her form and confidence.

The American finally broke her title drought in October 2012, when she defeated Monica Niculescu in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, to win the Luxembourg Open. It was her first WTA title since February 2010 and her 44th overall.

Williams posted a picture of her holding the Luxembourg Open trophy on her Instagram account on Thursday, October 19.

"This tournament meant a lot to me. My first win after coming back from my layoff from an autoimmune disease. Never let anything get you down," Williams wrote.

Venus Williams on Instagram

Venus Williams is currently ranked No. 408 in the world, as she has not played since the US Open in September 2023, where she lost in the first round to Greet Minnen in straight sets, 1-6, 1-6.

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Venus Williams withdraws from 2024 Australian Open, eyes March return

Venus Williams vs. Mónica Puig exhibition match

Venus Williams recently disclosed her plans for the upcoming 2024 tennis season, which will see her skip the Australian Open at the start of the year.

The American had a tough 2023 campaign, as she failed to make it past the second round in any event. The former World No. 1 last participated in the North American hardcourt swing, where she took part in the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open, and the US Open. Her only win in these three events came against Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati.

Williams has now admitted that she hurt herself at the Wimbledon Championships this year and was not in good form in the subsequent tournaments. She said she is working on getting healthy again and that she plans to resume playing in March 2024.

"I had a crazy fall at Wimbledon. I just slipped and I was out. I tried my best to recover for the US Open. I did not reach my form so now I am just resting until I get back. I am targeting March, that's when the tournaments go back to the States, so my goal is to be up and running when tournaments come back to the US," Williams said in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).