Venus Williams

Serena Williams: Venus ‘coming along awesome’

Serena Williams said her sister Venus has been training every day and will be ready for the Fed Cup matches against Belarus.

“She’s coming along awesome. She’s doing really well,” said Serena Williams. “She’s not wanting to take it too fast, come back too soon. But she’s been training every day since before Colombia, so I know she’s going to be ready.”

The Williams sisters will be teammates on the U.S. team that wil...

Further to @Rafa's post:

Venus Williams has announced she is withdrawing from the Australian Open.

"I regret to announce that I am withdrawing from the Australian Open. Thanks for your love and support!," the star announced on Tuesday via her Twitter account.

The former world No.1 has been receiving treatment for the immune system disease Sjogren's syndrome and also withdrew from last week's Auckland Classic.

On her website she said she was not quite ready to return to tennis.

"After several months of training and treatment, I am making steady progress to top competitive form," she said.

"My diet and fitness regimen have allowed me to make great strides in terms of my health and I am very close to being ready to return to WTA competition. I have every intention to return to the circuit in February."

Big Pond.

Venus out of the Aus Open.... more to follow!

Venus Williams on her illness:

“I couldn’t raise my arm over my head, the racket felt like concrete. I had no feelings in my hands. They were swollen and itchy. I realised (her match against Lisicki) would be a miserable show. [...] I would go to the doctor and start crying. I couldn’t help it. I just want a chance to play on the same field as other people, I want to feel normal, but as frightening as the diagnosis was, it was also a relief. I wasn’t crazy and I wasn’t lazy; I thought, ‘is this a mental problem? Maybe I need to work harder.’”

People magazine

Venuseswilliams profile

Venuseswilliams Hi, enjoying a warm day in Florida. I will miss all you guys in New Zealand. I'm very sorry I cannot be there.
9 hours ago

Venus is one of the greatest players of all time. She will be 32 years old next year and because of her health issues I am afraid that next season could be her last.

Further to @deuxfaces's earlier post:

Seven-times grand slam champion Venus Williams will still play the Australian Open despite withdrawing from her scheduled warm-up tournament in New Zealand for health reasons, according to tournament director Craig Tiley.

American Williams, who has been receiving treatment for Sjogren's syndrome, an auto-immune disease, pulled out of the Jan. 2-7 Auckland Classic, organisers said earlier this week.

Tiley said he had spoken to Williams's agent to check her
availability after news of the withdrawal.

"I wanted to touch base but there's no change for her. She's
coming," Tiley said in comments published by the Australian
newspaper on Friday.

Williams withdrew from September's U.S. Open with Sjogren's,
a chronic disease where white blood cells attack
moisture-producing glands causing fatigue and joint soreness.

Reuters.

Venus Williams has withdrawn from the ASB Classic in January because of health issues.

http://tinyurl.com/7ovjbjp

Venus Williams fell to Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 6-3, in an exhibition in Barbados.
It was the fourth singles exhibition match that the elder Williams has played since she announced at the U.S. Open that she is afflicted with the auto immune disease, Sjorgen's syndrome.

"I was surprised with how I played because I expected to be a lot worse, but it was great to be out there," Williams told the Barbados Advocate.
"My performance gives me I hope I can play the Australian Open next year. I’m really hoping to keep my fitness heading into 2012, but I’m not going to raise my expectations for any major results."

Tennis Magazine.

Excerpt:

Venus Williams says she had some kind of mysterious virus that sapped her of energy. Williams, who played her first match since Wimbledon in a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Russia's Vesna Dolonts at the U.S. Open, wouldn't identify exactly what it was.

"It was just energy sucking and I just couldn't play pro tennis," she said. "It was disappointing, because I had huge plans for this summer, of course, to improve my ranking. To miss out on all those points was definitely devastating. Just to miss so much time off tour was just disheartening. But I'm just really excited to be back."

Williams added that she just returned to practice full time last week, and until then just hit balls standing still, for the most part.

"I was able to stay on the court only because my anxiety was high if I didn't play," she said. "I was able to hit balls, but it wasn't like a real practice. In fact, my mind wasn't there. Let me try to make it to X number of times. I had to get ready fast. I couldn't do a lot, but I stayed on the court. I would bargain with say, and myself Okay, you'll be happy when your serve is great. So I had a basket of serves. I would be like, Okay, this is going to pay off for you, and so it has."

Venus has turned down a wildcard for New Haven next week.
Can't imagine she's too serious about the USO then.
She needs the matches.