Venus Williams Loses Control of Life to Agonizing Condition

Venus Williams is all set to play at Wimbledon in spite of an untreatable autoimmune disease.

The 32-year-old professional tennis player uses Wimbledon for her own reason - to get grass-court practice before the Olympics and the gold medal she has set her heart on.

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The younger sister wants a fourth title so badly.

"I just want to be a winner again," the Daily Express quoted Serena as saying.

For Venus, just stepping back on to grass will be a major achievement.

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"Every morning I wake up and I don't know how I will feel," she said.

"My biggest challenge now is learning how to live like this," Venus said.

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Some days she can hardly get out of bed, her joints hurt and creak. She is on a vegan diet and in an attempt to live with the pain has taken up karaoke, singing away to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

"I'm no longer in control of my life," she said.

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"That's what it's like for me now. I suppose though it could be a lot worse," Venus said.

She is suffering from Sjogren's Syndrome, which threatens to rule every minute of her waking day.

"Rolling the dice, I call it," she said.

"I don't know how I am going to be," Venus said.

If she cannot hit a tennis ball because of the discomfort, she instead sings along to the music that has become her therapy. Playing tennis is a minor miracle.

"I tell people it's like going to a motor race," Venus said.

"The other cars are ready, the drivers are prepared, only Williams is not ready, not prepared the way she wants to be.

"But I must strive for what I want and that is to be an Olympian again. Some days I despair, others I feel like I did when I won Wimbledon.

"I do the best I can, it's obviously very frustrating, there is a lot of stages to go through with a thing like this, but I have to accept there are people a lot worse off than I am. I haven't got to the stage when I ask myself, 'Why me'? I'm still competitive and I'm not allowed to feel sorry for myself.

"Every morning is different. Sometimes I don't feel great, then it's a better day than I thought it was going to be. When I wake up I just have to see how it goes. Sometimes I get a second wind. But I can't give up.

"This is a process I have to learn from working things out for myself and with my doctors. It's almost like beginning again. I have to be positive.

"Who knows, I could have a major breakthrough and be close to my old self. I just don't know.

"Serena has been a tremendous support. When I changed my diet, she changed hers too, which meant there were less tempting things in the house.

"She even does the cooking and is always encouraging me to keep going. She tells me I've nothing to lose and so now I just want to enjoy the battle and enjoy tennis again if I can," she added.

Source-ANI