Former U.S. Open champion Venus Williams needs our prayers. Williams withdrew from the last grand slam of the year yesterday, revealing she is suffering from an autoimmune disease. Williams quit the tournament before her second-round match against Germany’s Sabine Lisicki then released a statement explaining the extent of her health problems. “I’m really disappointed to have to withdraw from this year’s U.S. Open,” she said. “I have recently been diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease which is an ongoing medical condition that affects my energy level and causes fatigue and joint pain.”
Williams has been battling health problems for the past year. She retired from her third-round match at the Australian Open with a hip problem and did not play again until June. The 31-year-old played only a handful of matches since making her comeback and had not played since Wimbledon, pulling out of recent tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati. She only resumed practicing last week because of what she said was an “energy-sucking” mystery illness.
Source: Inside Buzz