Ellie Kemp
Tennis champion Serena Williams has divided the internet after revealing she’s been using a GLP-1 weight loss drug.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion says she has lost 31 pounds since taking Zepbound, which shares the same active ingredient as Mounjaro.
In a new promotional video in partnership with US telehealth firm Ro, the former athlete and mom-of-two speaks about her journey on the medication.
While drugs like Ozempic are only approved for those with diabetes, others - like Zepbound - are approved for weight-loss purposes.
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In an interview with PEOPLE, Williams, 43, says she has ‘never taken shortcuts’ in her career and has always worked hard.
But after welcoming her second child, Adira River Ohanian, in August 2023, Williams struggled to lose the postpartum pounds - a struggle plenty of moms face.
“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,” Williams explained.
Since starting Zepbound, Williams - who welcomed first child Alexis Olympia in 2017 - claims she feels lighter both physically and mentally.
Not only has she lost weight, but she's reaped some unexpected benefits of the weight loss too.
“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 explained. “I feel like I have a lot of energy and it's great. I just feel pretty good about it.”
She added: “GLP-1 helped me enhance everything that I was already doing - eating healthy and working out, whether it was as a professional athlete at the top level of tennis or just going to the gym every day.”
Elsewhere, Williams clarified there was ‘nothing wrong’ with her previous size, but noted: “It's just not what I wanted to have. I just knew that I wanted to be where I personally felt comfortable.”
Responding to the Ro announcement via Instagram, fans were clearly divided.
Some praised Williams for her transparency, as one said: “I'm so happy she's being honest about how she lost her weight. Coz most of these celebrities are straight up lying. Way to go Serena!!”
A second social media user agreed: “She doesn’t owe us transparency, but it’s nice for her to confirm what many of us suspected. No shame in taking weight-loss medicine.”
A third added: “You look amazing now and before. More power to you!”
But others reckoned that the move sends out the wrong message.
“Body positivity left the chat,” one person quipped, as another said: “Fantastic, now we can undo all the progression we made on letting women know it's ok to take time, recover and get back in shape or not to.”
A third expressed: “As an athlete and an influencer, it's a shame that you're reiterating the narrative that you need to take medication to be healthy and achieve an acceptable standard of beauty. This video made me really sad and disappointed.”
UNILAD has contacted representatives for Serena Williams for comment.