Serena Williams, 43, Shares What Helped Her Lose 31 Lbs After Weight Loss Struggles

The tennis superstar is opening up about a personal health decision that helped her overcome a years-long struggle — and it's already making a major difference.

In an exclusive interview with People, Serena Williams, 43, opened up about her long-standing struggle to lose weight after becoming a mother and the medical treatment that finally made a difference when diet and exercise weren't enough.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion shared that she has since lost more than 31 pounds with the help of a GLP-1 medication prescribed through Ro, a direct-to-patient healthcare company. The change came after years of frustration trying to return to her desired weight, despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

GLP-1 — short for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists — are medications that work in the brain to affect satiety. Popular brands include Ozempic and Mounjaro.

Williams said that after losing weight, she feels healthier overall — both in her body and her mind. The change has had a positive impact on her physical and mental well-being.

Though she had always maintained a healthy lifestyle, Williams explained that she wanted to try a new approach after the birth of her second daughter, Adira. She began using the medication after stopping breastfeeding in early 2024 and consulted with a doctor through Ro before starting weekly 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.

Once Williams decided to start the treatment, she said getting the medication was straightforward and that the support she received made the process easy. She now represents the healthcare company, Ro, as a celebrity ambassador. “I lost over 31 pounds using my GLP-1 and I was really excited about that weight loss," she said.

She also reflected on how long her weight loss struggles had lasted, explaining that they began after the birth of her first daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017. Despite staying active and eating well, she said she couldn't reach her target weight no matter how hard she tried.

"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 shared. "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."

She emphasized that the lack of results was particularly frustrating, given her lifelong work ethic. "I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard. I know what it takes to be the best," Williams said. "So 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."