Photo Credit:Ro
Serena Williams has shared details of her post-pregnancy weight-loss journey, revealing how she managed to lose more than 31 pounds. The
23-time Grand Slam champion revealed that she turned to GLP-1 medication after years of frustration trying to return to her pre-pregnancy weight.
“I feel great. I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally,” Williams, 43, told _PEOPLE_.Her struggles began after giving birth to her first daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017. Despite strict training and a clean diet, her body resisted change. “I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained,” she explained. “It was crazy because I’d never been in a place like that in my life where I worked so hard, ate so healthy and could never get down to where I needed to be at.”
Following the birth of her second daughter, Adira River, in August 2023, Williams faced similar challenges. She recalled losing weight in the first two weeks postpartum, then plateauing. “I never lost another pound,” she admitted.
Determined to try something new, Williams turned to Ro, a direct-to-patient healthcare company, where she is now a paid ambassador. In early 2024, once she had finished breastfeeding, she started taking weekly GLP-1 injections. “I did a lot of research on it. I was like, ‘Is this a shortcut? What are the benefits? What are not the benefits?’ I really wanted to dive into it before I just did it,” she said.
GLP-1, short for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, impacts satiety and is often prescribed for obesity and type 2 diabetes under brand names like Ozempic and Mounjaro. Williams emphasized that, despite public debate, it was not a shortcut. “GLP-1 helped me enhance everything that I was already doing — eating healthy and working out,” she stressed.
Since starting treatment, Williams has noticed remarkable changes. “I just can do more. I’m more active. My joints don’t hurt as much. I just feel like something as simple as just getting down is a lot easier for me. And I do it a lot faster,” she said. “I feel like I have a lot of energy and it’s great.”
Though proud of her progress, Williams has maintained that her confidence was never tied to her size. She has always embraced body positivity, emphasizing that whether heavier or lighter, she remained comfortable in her own skin.Now training for a half marathon, the tennis icon continues to champion self-love while inspiring others to prioritize health on their own terms.