Legendary tennis player Serena Williams‘ weight loss has been a trending topic as she reveals that a GLP-1 medication played a significant role in her transformation. In a candid conversation, the tennis icon shared that she has been using Zepbound to achieve her weight goals.
In discussing her weight loss, Serena highlights a struggle that is relatable to many women. During her interview with Today, Williams explained that she lost 31 pounds since starting the medication about a year ago, describing the decision to use the drug, specifically Zepbound, as “a really good decision I had to make for my life.”
The 43-year-old tennis star shared the challenges she faced in her post-pregnancy health, “This all started after I had my [first] kid,” she explained. “As a woman, you go through different cycles in your life… no matter what I did—running, walking, I would walk for hours because they say that’s good, I literally was playing a professional sport — and I could never go back to where I needed to be for my health. Then, after my second kid, it just even got harder. So then I was like, OK, I have to try something different.”
Serena Williams’ Weight Loss: The Mental and Physical Gains
Serena Williams’ weight loss journey has been both physically and mentally beneficial. She noted that since starting the medication, her “blood sugar levels have improved,” and her joints feel “lighter,” which is a crucial health benefit for a former athlete who experienced a lot of physical strain.
“I had a lot of knee issues … especially after I had my kid [and] was never able to get to my normal levels of weight. And that, quite frankly, definitely had an effect on maybe some wins that I could have had in my career,” Williams recalled. With the help of the medication, she says she now feels “like my old self.”
A key part of the conversation was Serena’s desire to combat the stigma surrounding GLP-1 medications. She pointed to a statistic that African Americans have an increased risk of diabetes and directly addressed the common misconception that using these drugs is a “shortcut.” She said, “I feel like a lot of people have this stigma on GLP-1s and say things like, ‘Oh, lazy people do it,’ or ‘If you’re working hard enough, you don’t need that.’”
But from her own experience, she knows “for a fact from my experience that it’s simply not true. Sometimes you need help. Your story is your story, and it’s okay to make that choice to do it if you want to. I did, and I’m really happy with it.”
She connected her experience to a broader issue for many women, stating, “I was putting in the work. I actually think it’s a problem a lot of other women can relate to, that you are in the gym and eating healthy, but just can’t get to the level you want or need to.” Serena Williams’ weight loss journey has been deeply personal for her. “I feel lighter mentally, I feel sexier, I feel more confident,” she said.
According to Complex, Williams joins a growing number of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Fat Joe, Tracy Morgan, Kelly Osbourne, and Charles Barkley, who have also opened up about their use of GLP-1 medications.
