Rugby has given me so much; confidence, resilience, friendships that feel like family, and a sense of belonging I’ll cherish forever.

Serena Williams, who was once celebrated for her curves, has confirmed that the reason for her newly trim figure is the use of medication to help with weight loss. 

The Wimbledon legend retired from tennis in 2022 but has maintained a fit and healthy lifestyle through exercise alongside a well-curated diet. 

However, after giving birth to two children – Serena shares daughters Alexis Olympia, seven, and Adira River, two, with husband Alexis Ohanian – the sporting champ noticed a struggle in being able to keep her weight down. 

‘I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained,’ Serena explained. 

She added to People magazine: ‘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.’ 

Serena, 43, insisted that while she’s never taken ‘shortcuts’ in her career, she felt the use of a GLP-1 treatment was the solution. GLP-1 refers to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, which impact satiety in the brain. Brands like Ozempic and Mounjaro have been popularised in recent years to assist with weight loss. 

‘It was very frustrating to do all the same things and never be able to change that number on the scale or the way my body looked,’ Serena added. 

The sports star, who has won 23 Grand Slams in her career, recognised the controversy surrounding so-called weight loss drugs and so made sure to do extensive research. With guidance from her doctor, Serena began taking Ro injections six months after giving birth to her daughter Adira. 

Fans have expressed mixed feelings about Serena taking the medication, with @stillinthefield commenting on X: ‘Seeing THE Serena Williams being used to sell weight loss products feels like an insult to everything Serena Williams represents, stands for, and has achieved, even if she herself or her team doesn’t feel that way.’ 

However, others spoke out in her defence with @Beautiranye stating she ‘love[s] the honesty. I loveeee her.’ 

@aishamusic also said: ‘Serena always looked good though. She still looks good. Maybe it was a thyroid issue or insulin resistance giving her trouble before. Whatever drug she’s on for a weight loss I hope it is safe and won’t damage her health in the longrun.

Serena was mindful in addressing the issue of beauty standards in relation to weight loss medication, and said that dropping pounds should ‘never really change your self-image.’ 

‘Women often experience judgment about their bodies at any size, and I’m no stranger to that. So I feel like you should love yourself at any size and any look,’ she said. 

‘I’ve never felt that pressure to maintain a certain appearance. I always felt comfortable at any size, whether I was a lot heavier or not. I do feel like my body didn’t like me at that weight.’ 

Many have noticed Serena’s shrinking frame in recent social media photos, with her showing a glimpse of her smaller waist wearing a crop top in a mirror selfie earlier in August, and then frolicking in the sea wearing a swimsuit this week. 

The former Olympic athlete stopped by the Today show in New York on Thursday, where she shared further details of her weight loss journey. 

Serena joins a growing list of celebrities who have been open about their use of medication to lose weight, with the likes of Sharon Osbourne, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Meghan Trainor all coming forward with their experiences.

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