Serena Williams is offering a candid glimpse into her weight loss journey. The tennis legend, who shares her life with daughters Alexis, aged 6, and Adira, 2, alongside her husband Alexis Ohanian, recently opened up about how a GLP-1 medication played a pivotal role in her body transformation, facilitating a remarkable 31-pound weight loss.
"I was on and off the medication, but now I'm fully committed," said Serena, 43, in an interview with Today on August 21. "It was a crucial decision I had to make for my well-being. I had tried absolutely everything."
Having retired from tennis in 2022, Serena revealed that she struggled with weight loss after welcoming Alexis into their lives. "As a woman, you navigate various phases in your journey," she reflected thoughtfully. "Regardless of what I did—whether running, walking, or even engaging in hours-long walks as they say is beneficial—I was still a professional athlete, yet I couldn't revert to the fitness level I needed for my health."
Even after embracing vegetarianism and then transitioning to a vegan diet, it seemed like her efforts were futile. When Adira arrived in 2023, Serena felt that her struggle to maintain a healthy body had intensified. "I thought to myself, 'Okay, I need to try something different,'" she admitted.
With the GLP-1 medication now an integral part of her routine, Serena has not only witnessed a substantial weight loss but has also experienced an overall enhancement in her health. "I've had numerous knee issues," she explained, noting that while pregnancies exacerbated the condition, it also "undoubtedly impacted some victories I could have achieved in my career."
Despite holding an impressive 23 Grand Slam titles throughout her storied career, Serena hopes that her openness about using a GLP-1 will dispel the stigma surrounding the drug as a "shortcut" for weight loss. "As an athlete who has done it all, I simply couldn't get my weight to a healthy place," she recounted. "And believe me, I don't take shortcuts."
