Serena Williams lost 31 pounds on GLP-1 drugs, becomes Ro ambassador

Serena Williams said this week that she has lost about 31 pounds using a class of weight loss drugs known as GLP1 receptor agonists and has signed on as a paid ambassador for Ro, a telehealth company that prescribes the medications. In interviews with People and the Today show, the 23 time Grand Slam champion said she began the treatment in early 2024, after struggling for years to reach a healthy weight following the births of her daughters Olympia in 2017 and Adira in 2023.

Williams described the decision as driven by health concerns and practical limits to diet and exercise. "As an athlete and as someone that has done everything, I just could not get my weight to where I needed it to be at a healthy place," she told Today. She cited family risk of diabetes and pain in her knees as motivating factors, and added that the medication has improved her energy and mobility. "I feel light physically and light mentally," she told People, saying she did extensive research before starting the weekly injections and that she continued to eat healthily and exercise while on the drug.

GLP1s, short for glucagon like peptide 1 receptor agonists, mimic a natural hormone that helps regulate...